If Things Were Different
by FeistyFox
Summary: What would have happened if DG had never heard the witch? What if she had grown up in the Outer Zone knowing who she was and what she was supposed to be? Would it be what her family expected or would she have veered off in another direction entirely? Take
1. Chapter 1

Title: If Things Were Different

Author: FeistyFox

Rating: M

Pairing: DG/Cain

Summary: What would have happened if DG had never heard the witch? What if she had grown up in the Outer Zone knowing who she was and what she was supposed to be? Would it be what her family expected or would she have veered off in another direction entirely? Take a look...

Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man

The trip had been less then ideal. True, they hadn't been ambushed by a forest nymph again and they hadn't gotten lost, which had never happened when he was in charge of trips, but the weather had been awful and he was going to have a serious conversation with their mechanic when they got back. The roads had followed the weathers lead and of course the truck had merrily joined the party. At least they had made it to Finaqua before the Engine had stalled for the sixth time and refused to turn over. He hadn't even attempted to fix it. He had simply sighed and glanced over at the Mystic Man who had clapped him on the shoulder good naturedly before shoving his door open and stepping out into the downpour before he could even try to scout the area. The man had no sense of self-preservation at all. No wonder he was the only one who was willing to travel with him anymore.

"How many time do I have to ask you to let me check the area first, old man?" Their banter was anything but proper as he walked to the back of the non-descript truck scanning the woods discretely.

"Nonsense, Wyatt, I can see the maze and I don't sense anything with my magic. We're perfectly safe."

"The way we were perfectly safe inside your manor three weeks ago?" He asked sarcastically throwing his pack over his shoulder. He wasn't going to worry about the rest since they were so close to the castle and locked the vehicle securely. The palace staff would haul the truck in and have it fixed and their things sent up to their rooms in an hour or so. "Or when we were perfectly safe last fall festival when that goat cult decided to attack you?"

"That was an unusual situation." He heard the joviality in the duke's voice. Unusual. That was his assessment of a crazy goat cult attack. Unusual. He rolled his eyes as he tugged the brim of his hat down farther. Even his water tight clothing wasn't going to keep this kind of rain off of him for long, and the Mystic Man wasn't even wearing a hat as he stood patiently waiting for his guard to finish securing their transport in the pouring rain.

"I would hate to know what your definition of a bad situation might entail." The man's chuckle bounced against the maze's edge as he considered it momentarily before turning east. After about twenty feet of flat green hedges he spoke up. "Not to put a damper on this nice spring trek but the entrance is in the opposite direction."

"One of them is." He agreed. He felt one of his eyebrows quirking up. It was a well known fact that the entrance to Finaqua was not only guarded at all times, but that even if someone managed to incapacitated the guards the likelihood of them making it through the maze, which was rumored to move if it didn't like you, was a slim one. He would admit he was intrigued now.

"Can I ask how many there are?"

"You can ask all you'd like, unfortunately only members of the royal family are allowed to know about all of them."

"But you're taking me through one?"

"I'm not too concerned that you're going to let the secret slip. You know more important things and the maze can protect itself if it thinks you're a threat. Besides you might need to know a second way in someday so pay attention as we go through."

Because he so rarely let his attention wander, not that the duke was questioning his skills as a Tin Man, or at least a retired one. Ten more minutes of sloughing through puddles and the Mystic Man stopped and placed his hand on the bushes studying it intently. After a second he took another step to the left and pointed with his other hand. "Put your hand next to mine. I'm going to make sure the maze recognizes you."

Well, the man had made stranger requests of him so he complied. The duke's hand flashed a pale blue-white and suddenly the leaves on the bushes were shifting around his. His shoulders stiffened noticeably but his companion chuckled. "Relax. Think of it as a dog getting your scent."

He was sure that was an amazing simplification of what was actually going on but let it pass. The last time he had asked how something magical worked he had gotten a lecture on the expanding universe and microcosms. He still didn't know what a microcosm was and frankly didn't have the interest or energy to ask. At least he didn't have to deal with the strange sensation for very long. After a minute the maze let him go before beginning to snake back in on itself. As it formed a small arched doorway in it's side he took careful note of their location and followed the Mystic Man inside.

He'd been to Finaqua twice before and talked to a few other men who had walked the same path to the palace he had, so he knew better than to keep track of the number of steps he was taking, or the sequence of turns he was taking. All you could do once you entered the maze was to keep the direction you wanted to go in your head. Everything else could change at any given moment. It took them another twenty minutes to make it to the end. It had taken him at least twice as long the other two times he had gone through. He was impressed with this short cut.

When they emerged the guards at the exit were surprised and made to draw their weapons. He snarled at them before they were even close. "The Duke of the Black Mountains and The Northern Isle! Show respect!"

As he fully expected they would the men immediately abandoned their quest for weapons and instead fell into deep bows. He hadn't had a problem getting anyone to listen to him in a least eight years, other than his son and the duke, although he thought that was fairly natural given Jeb's age, he hadn't exactly been the most obedient child at seventeen. "The duke's truck broke down outside the entrance to the maze. Have it fixed and have our things taken to our quarters."

The older of the two guards straightened and nodded sharply. "Yes, Sir."

The Mystic Man's face was impassive but he noticed humor twinkling in them. "Has my sister and her family arrived?"

"Yes, Your Grace. They arrived yesterday. I'll have Sergeant Davis escort you to the steward." His voice was appropriately respectful and chastised so he made no mention of the fact that the men were unprepared to fend off an attack as the younger man quickly bowed again and indicated that they should follow him to the small palace in the distance.

As soon as they walked inside a wall of warm air swept over them and he sighed quietly in relief. He had been tired of the cold spring rain and the last hour had not made him any more favorable toward it. Sergeant Davis asked them politely to wait as he fetched the steward and disappeared around a corner. The Mystic Man ran his hand over his nearly baldhead as he rid himself of some water. "You do have a way of snapping people into line."

His lip quirked up. "Think that's part of my job description."

The duke simply shook his head. "Now that we're here consider yourself off duty. Finaqua has the best security in the realm." He opened his mouth and the Mystic Man raised his hand. "If you must check the rooms then don't let me stand in your way. I'll be with my sister and the girls. I'd like to introduce you to them tomorrow once you've rested and cleaned up if that's acceptable."

He was slightly taken aback by that. The duke must have a higher opinion of him than he had thought. He'd met the royal couple and one of their daughters before, at least in a loose sense. He'd been working palace security in Central City as part of a work rotation when Jeb was young, before Adora had gotten sick. They had seemed like pleasant enough people and the older princess had been lovely and serious. He recalled that the younger princess had been with his current employer at the time. In fact, she was the reason they were here now.

It was her birthday, or it would be in a week. The Mystic Man hadn't seen either of his nieces in over a year and hadn't seen Dorothy in almost four. He had been eager to spend an extra four days with her before the Gale line met the Consort in Central City. The younger princess was scheduled to have her twenty-first birthday ball in the Capital City. He had never met the younger princess but from what he had heard of her she was slightly unstable. It was no wonder her sister had been named heir apparent so young.

One day it would be reported that the younger princess had used her magic to save a village from a flash flood, in a place she shouldn't have been anywhere near, and the next week she would have been spotted tottering drunk through Sin District Square. Then all of a sudden she had vanished from public view. He hadn't thought much of it. She was royal and wasn't going to be his queen so what did it really matter?

However, when the duke had received a letter from Princess Azkadilla explaining that the three of them were going to be at Finaqua and would love for him to come if he could get away from his duties he had jumped at the chance. The Mystic Man was usually a pretty jolly fellow to begin with and when he got the invite he had practically buzzed with excitement, admittedly that could have been the magic. So he had pack his bags, shook off the worry over Jeb not being at home anymore, locked up and picked up the truck. This was the last time he left without looking under the hood first.

"If that's what you'd like I'd be honored."

The duke smiled, the lines around his eyes crinkling, as a man in blue uniform rounded the corner with the guard. He bowed gracefully at the waist. "Your Grace, I sincerely apologize for the wait. If you and your Tin Man will follow me I will show you to your room so you can refresh yourselves."

They followed the man down several halls and up a wide staircase as the steward spoke easily to them. "You're car is already in the garage. The Princess had it moved as soon as she was informed there was a problem." He assumed he meant by magic.

The Mystic Man nodded. "That was kind of her."

The steward tilted his head. "My men have your thing in your rooms and I will have one waiting for you outside to take you to the Her Majesty as soon as Your Grace would like. Is there anything else either of you require at the moment? Feel free to ask anyone for anything if you think of something later." That was a broad offer. The queen sure was welcoming.

"I believe we are quite fine." They had made it to the duke's room first and he stepped forward with a slight nod to the older man, ignoring the steward completely. The palace worker must be used to this because he made no protest as he edged the door open with his gun in hand and made a thorough sweep of the entire place before allowing the Mystic Man to enter.

When he exited the room the duke clapped him on the shoulder in farewell and shut the door behind him. The steward extended his arm and continued one more door down the hall before stopping again. "Your room, Tin Man. Again if you need anything all you have to do is ask."

He considered that. He was free for the rest of the night and he had no interest in being stuck in his room for another six hours before he managed to fall asleep. "I'd like to take a look at the truck once I dry off. How do I get to the garage?"

"The mechanics can take care of the problem."

He growled low in his throat not wanting to argue. The steward got the hint. "Go back down the stairs and take a left. At the second hall on the right take another left and then go down the staircase. Turn right immediately. You'll end up in the garage."

He tipped his still dripping hat. "Much obliged." The man nodded and handed him the key to his room.

He shut his own door and threw his duster over a chair near the fire that was blazing merrily in the hearth. His hat and boots followed shortly after as he searched his own room for signs of danger. Finding none he walked into the bedroom of his suite, impressed with the size of the rooms he had been given. Tossing his pack on top of a dresser he opened it and quickly unpacked it so no wrinkles would form in his clothing. Leaving a shirt and a pair of pants out he shrugged out of his holster before peeling off his moist clothes.

Once he was redressed he checked his boots and found them much drier than he had left them. Tugging them on he left his room after locking it behind him and headed down to the irritating truck. At least it was something to do that didn't involve getting shot at or chasing a crazy old man. It helped that the steward could give precise directions.

The garage was spacious and uncluttered. Like so many other places where machines were repaired it smelled like oil and metal, but as far as he could see it was very organized and by far the cleanest garage he had ever seen. There were a number of machines and automobiles scattered about the space, but in the far corner the old grey truck sat with its hood up and a slim man in black pants was leaning halfway inside of it. The man was so short his feet weren't even touching the ground.

His eyebrow twitched up. He hadn't thought mechanics worked this late in the day, not even for the duke. Walking silently across the clear space he spotted an open toolbox on the rim of the hood, which effectively blocked his view of the workers face. He heard a clank then a horrible metallic snap before the man; he spotted a grease-covered hand and changed that to a woman, lobbed the carburetor over her shoulder. He watched in horror as it hit the ground with a clatter.

They were never going to get back to Central City. They were going to be stuck in this wet paradise with the duke's crazy niece forever. This could not be happening. "What are you doing?" He shouted.

A small surprised face popped out from under the hood. The lines of grease and messy ponytail the young woman was sporting couldn't hide the fact that she was a true beauty. Her hair was a lovely shade of blue black and her eyes were the same color as a cloudless summer sky. She pushed a stray hair behind her ear, spreading some more grease very effectively. "I'm fixing this truck. What are you doing?" Her curious eyes pinned him to the flat cement floor.

Author Note: Oh! Oh guys this one is so good! I'm really excited about it! I know its an AU but give it a shot! Leave me one!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Tin Man is tragically not mine!

Even the stomach dropping response to the sight of her, one he hadn't experienced to any woman since Adora, could stop his irritation. "Fixing it? _Fixing it?_ You just eviscerated it!" That was it. His truck, which admittedly was teetering on the brink, was officially dead.

Her lip twitched up at the corner as his hand waved between the carburetor and the engine. She wasn't even remotely fazed by his outburst. He usually had grown men quivering at his feet and this woman was smirking at him? He mentally scrambled to get a foothold on this situation. "I hate to tell you this…ahhhh?"

He crossed his arms but grudgingly supplied her with his name. "Wyatt Cain."

"Mr. Cain, but there was no saving it. You could think of it as reconstructive surgery if you're having an emotional response to the scene." With that she tossed the wrench in her tool kit, and without looking, pulled out a screwdriver. She dove back in without further ado. He watched her for a good ten seconds before admitting he was intrigued. It wasn't often you found a woman with such a practical skill set.

Walking to her other side he made sure his footsteps were audible as he made his way behind her. He had made the mistake of scaring people when they didn't know he was there a few too many times and he didn't want to scare this woman off. At least not yet. Leaning against the front of the truck he watched her nimble fingers unhooking wires at lightning speed for a while. She wasn't at all bothered by his scrutiny of her work. "Are you the one that drew the short straw tonight?"

She never paused in her work as she answered. "Sorry?"

"You must have been ordered in during your off time to fix the Mystic Man's transport. Are you the newest mechanic at Finaqua?" That would make sense. She was young, even if she was talented with cars. He could tell that from watching her for three minutes. He couldn't imagine that an older mechanic would be down here right now; she must have been thrown under the bus by her boss.

He saw her eyes dance briefly with mischief. Levering herself out of the inside of the truck she leaned against it so she was facing him with the hand holding the screwdriver on her hip. "Are you suggesting that my work is sub par?"

He fought back a smile at her spunk. He looked from the engine to the hunk of metal on the floor. He was willing to play if she was. "Considering my truck is in several twisted pieces I am forced to question your skill level."

She jabbed him in the ribs with the pointed end of the screwdriver and he let out a grunt. "Look here, Buddy, it is hardly my fault that you bought a truck without checking under the hood-" He opened his mouth indignantly but she cut him off. "And then tried to punish said truck by driving it through a river."

He pointed a finger at her. "I did not drive it through a river."

She grinned triumphantly showing off her perfect white teeth. "But you admit you bought it without checking under the hood."

He huffed at her, amused. "I admit I may have put too much faith in the man I bought it from."

She raised a skeptical eyebrow as she went back to work. "If it's any consolation I'll have it fixed by tomorrow night and it won't give you any more trouble." As she worked her eyebrows came together and she glanced up. "If you work for the Mystic Man why are you down here?"

He shrugged. "I was given the night off. He wanted to spend time with his family."

"And you were what? Bored?" She didn't sound surprised that he hadn't holed up in his room. Maybe she was the kind that didn't like to keep idle either.

"That's the long and short of it."

Her lip began to twitch again. "So you were going to come down here and make the truck worse, or maybe stare at it and hope it righted itself?"

"I'm not sure I like you all that much, Kid."

Her laughter filled the inside of the engine case. "For future reference, it's Deeg."

His eyebrow quirked up. "That's a right strange name."

"Gee, thanks so much." Her voice was tinged with friendly sarcasm. "I mean sure it's not as pretty or feminine as, say, Wyatt, but what can I do? It's the name my mama gave me."

He felt a true smile bloom on his lips. He was having fun with this young woman; he was flirting outright with her. "I apologize for any offence. Deeg is a lovely name."

"Sure, sure, try to make it up to me now."

"I wouldn't even know what to try with you."

Her eyes were glittering with mirth and she had opened her mouth to volley back when the exasperated voice of another woman echoed in from the hallway. "Deeg! Where are you now?"

Her eyes got three sizes wider and she shoved the screwdriver into his hand. "You can not tell her where I am!" She whispered in a frantic rush before dodging around him and huddled behind the front tire of the pickup. He turned his head to stare down at her and she put her finger to her lips before making a begging motion with both hands. He frowned as he turned his attention to the engine.

He paid scant attention to the progress that Deeg had made when he caught sight of the two figures that walked in. One was a viewer, he was an adult and lightly colored, he appeared harmless. That was as far as his initial inspection went due to the identity of the woman with him.

Gliding three feet in front of the viewer was the heir apparent. She couldn't have been more out of place if she had tried. Dressed in a perfectly made, forest green dress that hugged her curves she was everything a princess should be. She moved with grace and purpose, her long hair done up in an elegant knot at the back of her head and covered in a wire thin circlet of gold. Azkadilla radiated an almost otherworldly beauty that made him shiver. He immediately placed the tool he was holding on the lip of the hood and bowed at the waist when she spotted him.

"Your Highness." Why in Ozma's name would a mechanic want to hide from the princess? What had he gotten himself into now?

"Good Evening." She was distracted, that was obvious as her eyes skipped over the room. He straightened and saw the viewer's eyes focus on the tire next to his leg. His little mechanic wasn't counting on being sniffed out by an empath.

Unfortunately he couldn't ignore court protocol. "Is there anything I can help you with, Your Highness?" He felt a small hand swat the back of his thigh. He discreetly kicked her side when the princess was looking in another direction. This woman was trouble. The viewer twitched.

"I was-" Her soft voice was stopped when a furry paw rested on her arm.

"Not here." The viewer smiled gently at the heir apparent. "Raw will find. Princess should go to mother and uncle."

She sighed in annoyance. "We were supposed to work on Dorothy's dress before Uncle Liam got here."

The viewer, Raw he supposed, nodded sympathetically. "Gets distracted. Might be in stable. Raw find. Azkadilla go."

Azkadilla pursed her lips. "Very well. Thank you." Pivoting gracefully she floated out of the garage, her dress drifting behind her.

He waited until her slippered footfall faded away and the viewer started toward him before he closed the hood of the truck, and putting his elbows on top of it, stared down at the young woman. She stared back up at him and laughed weakly. Before he could ask what the hell was going on the viewer was standing over her and extending a gloved hand. "Why DG get Raw in trouble?"

Taking his hand she let him haul her up. "Who me?"

Raw rumbled in an affectionate sort of way. "Yes. DG." The viewer turned and considered him. "Tricking unknowing strangers now."

"That's harsh Raw! He was a willing participant in my escape!"

He grinned despite himself. "I'm not sure that's true considering the circumstances. I didn't just help an assassin escape did I?"

She shrugged sadly. "Nope, only a kleptomaniac." She held out her hands to him so he could cuff her. "Go ahead and take me! I confess! I was going to take the horrible truck you got conned into buying. Not that I would have gotten anywhere."

"Alright! Enough out of you, woman!" He swatted at her playfully and she dodged away nimbly.

The viewer watched them silently, his head tilted to the side. As Deeg moved to store her tools away he extended his hand to the other man. "Wyatt Cain."

The viewer hesitated for a briefer amount of time than most of his kind did when touching a new human. "Raw." The viewer took his hand with both of his gloved ones, in the manner of his people, as his eyes closed. He took several long breaths and then turned to address Deeg, which caught his interest. Viewers only shared the information they got with other members of their pride or if they were under extreme duress. If he considered her a pack member she had a more colorful history than he thought. "Good man. Brave man. Tin Man." Raw released him.

She closed her toolbox with a click. "You're a Tin Man?"

"I was. Retired a few months back. I'm with the Mystic Man full time now."

"Oh." Her smile was still in place but a strange kind of tiredness flashed in her eyes for a brief moment.

The longer he was with her the more interesting she became. "So why was the heir apparent after you? Do you make dresses as well?" How many talents did this woman posses?

That snapped her out of the daze she had fallen into. Her eyes locked on the viewer. "How much time do I have before I'm late?"

"Quarter of hour." He answered serenely.

She squeaked in alarm as she pulled at her grease-covered hair. "That is not enough time! Why did you let me stay down here this long?"

The viewer rolled his chocolate colored eyes. "Yes all Raw's fault that Deeg go missing. That she not tell Raw where she going again."

Grabbing her toolbox she dashed past him and shoved it in an empty cubby that had been built into the wall before dashing back past him. She had made it eight feet past the truck before she skidded to a halt and ran back extending her hand to him. He took it as his lips twitched up. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. Cain. Thanks for the save, I owe you one." And then she bolted toward the exit with the viewer following slowly behind her as if this were a normal occurrence. She shouted over her shoulder at him. "That green van in the back is junked if you need something to occupy your time! You can't hurt it any worse than it already is so have at it and help yourself to any of the tools!" Then she was gone and he decided he wouldn't mind running into her again while they were here. If only to figure out what had just happened.

Author Note: Are we having fun yet? Let me know. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man or anything associated with it. The characters just like to hang out with me.

Dashing through her suite she rushed into the bathroom and started the water running in her tub as Raw shut the main doors to her room. "Did you really need to wait this long to come and get me?"

She heard him huff at her through all three connected rooms as she bent down and unlaced her boots. Her viewer wandered into the doorway of her bathroom where she had plopped down on her bottom. "Raw distracting sister so she would not find. Or did DG want to be forced into twelve dresses instead of two?"

She tossed the first of her grease-smeared boots to the side with a sigh of defeat. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." It really was her fault, she had been high strung lately and had been losing track of more than just the time. Raw knew why. In fact he was the only one that knew why. She was afraid to tell Az or her mother. She knew they couldn't feel it, not even a little bit. The thing was, with all the magic around Finaqua, and with her mother and sister in residence, not to mention the sudden addition of her uncle, she couldn't pinpoint it. It was bearing down on them and soon it would strike.

She felt herself going stiff all over and suddenly Raw placed both his paws on her shoulders. "DG must be patient. Wanted to see uncle. This is why we are here." He pushed his gift into her and she began to slump backward. Raw caught her and made sure her back was against the wall before he let go. "DG clever to get sister to invite. Will be easier to get duke alone at Finaqua."

"And what if he can't feel it?" Her uncle wasn't in line for the throne. Like her, he had made no vows as her mother and sister had, but he had a distinct disadvantage. He was male. True he had magic, but not as much as a woman in the Gale line had, and she had made choices in her younger years that made her more _sensitive_ than anyone else had been in centuries.

She saw the hesitance in Raw's dark eyes. "Will worry if happens. Now must get ready." She didn't bother to give him one of her fake smiles because he would detect the insincerity. Instead he squeezed her shoulders and stood, shutting the bathroom door as he left. Ridding herself of her other boot she quickly stripped down and slid into the bath. She scrubbed at her skin and hair until she got all the oil out of it, which inevitable took longer than ten minutes before she scrambled toward the nearest towel.

Using her magic to take care of her dripping hair she scrubbed her skin dry as she stumbled toward her wardrobe. Her mother was already going to skin her for being late so another thirty seconds of scolding for wearing pants didn't seem like much of a burden. Picking out a slim black pair she shimmied into them before scooping up an embroidered white top and dark green vest. She refused to wear a dress unless she was at court or under scrutiny at Central City. They were impractical and got in the way. Stepping into a pair of green slippers she exited her room and found Raw waiting patiently for her in one of the chairs that sat in front of the large floor length windows that dominated her sitting room. The rain did not appear to be slowing down. She extended her magic and felt for the edge of the storm. After a brief tingle at the edge of her awareness she concluded that it would pass by first light tomorrow morning.

When Raw saw her he rumble out a low laugh. "Mother will not be happy."

She grinned knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Nope, but I'll be comfortable. Besides, I think it's a cute outfit, even if they are, _gasp_, pants!" She spun in a circle to show it off knowing it had no affect on the viewer at all and not caring one wit. Raw was the only friend she had, other than her sister, and she only acted like herself when the two of them were alone. She threw a hand to her forehead dramatically. "What respectable man will look at me twice with these on?"

The viewer gave her a knowing glance. "Tin Man liked looking at DG in pants."

She stopped spinning abruptly. She didn't think that was funny at all. "That's not nice." The only reason men ever looked at her was because of her rank. Sometimes they looked at her because of her magic. Other than that they had no reason to.

"Why DG sad? Liked him. Was having fun."

She shrugged and brushed at some nonexistent lint on her shirt. "He didn't even know who I was. He won't talk to me once he finds out." At least it had been fun while it lasted. That was all she had expected really.

"Why not talk to DG? Tin Man having fun too."

"Because I'm a princess." Her hands fell to her sides. In her experience once a man found that out, one of three things happened. They started to simper and preen which was annoying but she got used to ignoring it, they panicked and ran off, or worse they started to try to win her over so they could use her. It had gotten to the point that she simply avoided people unless she was forced to deal with them, and any ideas about courting anyone, even briefly, were out of the question.

She didn't have the stomach for playing a part in court games. While she would put up with being shown off at events for Az's sake, she refused point blank to see anyone that offered any kind of proposal to her. She'd heard the rumors that went around those functions about her, most of them completely false and those that were based on real events were so far out of the context of what happened that they made her sound insane at best.

The thing was most of the men that wanted to see her in private, and the women that wanted to befriend her, were the ones that spread those rumors. Everyone was so full of insincerity that most of the time she wanted to rip her hair out and scream at the top of her lungs, which of course she couldn't. That would have disappointed her mother and made her sister look bad. She loved Az enough to behave at court, although sometimes the margin was dangerously thin. It was all so fake.

So she was jaded by the whole system, she had been by the time she was twelve. Thank Ozma she had met Raw. He had never once asked her for a higher status or for gifts. He treated her like herself and not a princess, or a junky, or a crazy person. To Raw she was only Deeg. It was a relief to be able to be herself instead of whoever it was everyone else expected her to be all the time. Wearing a mask got old fast.

Her sadness wasn't about a brief talk with a man she'd never have another real conversation with again either. She was just feeling sorry for herself. Raw had been right when he said she'd been having fun talking, flirting would be a better term, with the man. He had been friendly enough, after his initial outburst, and he had taken her teasing in stride. Not to mention the fact that he had hidden her from the heir apparent when he thought she was a low level mechanic, that had been nice. She didn't even want to think about what his eyes had done to her, she hadn't thought the butterfly thing was real. Wrong, so very wrong. He was hands down the best-looking man she'd ever seen.

She sighed and jerked her head to the door. "I have to go. If I'm any later mother will kill me." This was a pointless line of thought. She had more important things to worry about

then a conversation with a stranger in the garage who most likely was only being sociable. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"When talk to uncle?"

She made a face and glanced past him where the rain was hitting the glass. "I'll try tomorrow after he and mother have caught up. I don't need anyone to get worried for no reason if I'm imagining things. Maybe I've been alone with my own magic for too long."

"No." Her eyes flew back down to Raw's. "Raw not have magic but can feel change coming. DG in center."

"That's comforting." Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

Raw's low voice sounded worried. "Did not ask to be comforted."

Her lip twitched. "I know. See you in a while Raw." He nodded to her and turned back to the view of the lake. She knew he liked to meditate by himself and they had been too busy the last few days for him to do so. She shut the door softly behind her and headed toward the queen's suite. Her mother had told her to be there fifteen minutes ago for their private family dinner. Rounding a corner she jogged to the door and knocked quickly.

"Enter." Her mother's soft voice floated through the wood and she quickly opened the door and slipped inside. The first thing she saw was a flash of annoyed amethyst and then she caught sight of her uncle as he twisted around from his seat at the small round table her family was sitting at.

"Dorothy Gale!" He shoved his chair back and was halfway to her before she registered that he moved. She felt her face split into a wide grin and laughed merrily as he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around. He set her down holding her at arms length as he smiled happily at her. "You are even more beautiful than I remember."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Thanks, Uncle Liam. How are you?"

He threw an arm around her shoulder and guided her to the table. "I am very well." He pulled out the empty chair for her and she sat down between him and Az, who gave her a brief look. The look clearly read 'why must you push mother the way you do?'. "I can't say I have any complaints at all." She wished she could say the same. Despite her anxiety she was more than happy that her uncle was here. She hadn't seen him in ages. "And your trip? The rain hasn't stopped all day."

He waved a hand. "We had some car trouble but your steward told me Azkadilla had the car moved to the garage." Ahh. Of course, it _must_ have been Az who did it. She nodded as she picked up a glass and sipped some water.

"I didn't know anything about a car." Her sister said as she smoothed the napkin in her lap. "You can thank, Deeg for that." Her sister was now glaring at her accusingly. She'd been caught red handed. Drat.

"I'm sorry about that assumption, Dorothy. I thought Azkadilla had heard about it first." He sounded so bad about it and she couldn't understand why.

"That's ok. All I did was move it. Did they get your things to your room?" She left out the part about fixing the truck. That would lead to a conversation that she didn't want to have right now.

"We did. I must say, Lavender, you do have a very efficient staff." She thought that was an understatement. The men and women that worked here were hard working and deserved all the praise they received. She had never waited more than five minutes for anything she had asked for and the palace was spotless. She wasn't entirely sure her mother and sister appreciated them as much as they should.

"How was your trip away, Dorothy?" Her smile never faltered as her brain scrambled for a way to state this in a way to get him alone without sounding suspicious.

"Aww, its just DG, Uncle Liam." His blue eyes twinkled as she continued. "It was interesting enough, but Az and mom have already heard all about it. I'd be happy to bore you with the story tomorrow while they start talking treaties and party plans again." There, she thought that sounded pretty good.

"That sounds lovely. Why don't we have lunch together?" Perfect. That would put the rest of her family on the other side of the palace. Especially if she made sure they had lunch out on one of the terraces. Now that she had more of a plan than she had had yesterday she managed to relax through the rest of the meal. She even managed to get away for the night before her mother could say anything about her clothing, which she gave herself high marks for.

By the time she got back to her room she felt her body starting to wind down. When she opened her door Raw opened his eyes and hummed softly. "Ready to sleep at last. Good."

She nodded in agreement. "Did you meditate?"

"Yes. Better now. Can see and hear more clearly."

"Anything new?" She hoped there was. She needed information.

"Friendship. Pain. Choices." He shook his head. "Jumbled together."

"It's better than nothing." She reassured him. She didn't need him thinking she thought his gift was anything less than useful. "It's better than thinking I'm crazy."

"DG not crazy."

"I know." It came out as a sigh. "I am tired though."

"Sleep now. Raw go."

"Goodnight." Reaching to him as he passed she hugged him tightly. "Thank you for coming back with me." He hugged her back for a moment before letting her go.

"Raw follow heart. DG does same." With that he left her to fall into bed. It was the first time she really slept in as long as she could remember.

Author Note: Oh my. DG has a secret!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Alas and woe is me! Tin Man does not belong to me!

Getting up the next morning was unpleasant. Her eyes opened and she groaned miserably. She could tell by the way the sun was coming in through the windows that it was at least three hours past second sunup, which meant she had missed breakfast and only had about three hours until lunch. She crawled out of bed cursing herself three ways from yesterday as she tried to figure out how she had slept so late. She was usually up at first sun and she now had that horrible lethargic feeling one got after sleeping too much.

As she tottered into the bathroom she determined it must somehow be Raw's fault. She wasn't sure of the logistics but she could work that out later. Washing her face and brushing her teeth made her feel more alive. Once her hair was tangle free and held back with a simple wooden clip she felt almost human again.

Returning to her bedroom she immediately selected an outfit similar to the one she had been wearing the night before. Uncle Liam didn't seem at all bothered by her fashion statements so she wasn't all that worried. Today she put on a pair of chocolate trousers and a deep blue top. She wrapped a belt around her waist and pulled a pair of darker brown boots over the pants before exiting her bedroom.

She wasn't in the mood to work on the truck in this particular ensemble so she picked up a book that was lying on her table and headed to one of her window seats. She loved to read and her mother and sister were so busy they wouldn't be able to pry her away from the book she had been trying to finish for the last week. For the next two and a half hours she lost herself in a battle that had never taken place between two nations that never existed. The characters were exciting, well written, and at the end her favorite one was murdered tragically. She gave serious thought to hunting down the author and zapping her with a curse. She loved every second of it and for a while she didn't think about anything.

Closing her book she stretched as she stood up. Tossing the book on the seat she headed to the door in search of one of the palace workers. When she found one she waved her hand at the older woman who stopped immediately and curtsied. "Your Highness."

"Good Afternoon, Mrs. Tanner. I hate to be a bother, but could you have someone set up a table and food for the duke and I out on the western terrace?"

The woman straightened and she could see respect in her hazel eyes. She found it was easier to get along with people if you knew their names. "The one leading onto the lawns or from the third story, Your Grace?"

She smiled. "The lawns if it isn't any bother."

"It would be my pleasure. Will that be for lunch or dinner?"

"Lunch. Can you have it ready in twenty minutes or is that not enough time? I am more than capable of stalling."

The older woman laughed softly. "That's more than enough time, Your Grace."

"Thank you." The woman curtsied again and hurried away to set up their meal. One of the few things she enjoyed about being back in the palace was not having to cook for herself. She was horrid at it. Turning toward the stairs she trotted up them at a quick clip toward her uncle's rooms. By the time she got there and through all the necessities the food would be ready.

After asking a lower steward for directions she found the appropriate door and knocked then stepped back. As she waited she glanced down the hall in an edgy kind of way. For once in her life she would love to skip all this stupid court protocol and get right to the part where she could ask if she was the only one feeling-

The door opened and she turned her head, her mouth open to say hello, to find herself face-to-face with someone who was not her uncle. Her mouth snapped closed with an audible click and her court smile plastered itself on her face when she found herself in front of her new Tin Man friend. Could she be more stupid? Of course he would be here. He worked for uncle Liam. She knew this. He, however, did not have the slightest clue as to who she was or why she was standing outside the door to his employer's room.

She could tell he was torn between utter confusion and amusement. His eyes raked over her body, taking in her clothing, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable in a way she had never in her life experienced before. For the first time ever she wished she was _not_ wearing pants. She felt a sudden surge of hatred toward her mother for being right about this. Then he had to go and open his big, stupid, mouth. "I'm afraid there aren't any trucks or dresses here. Is there something else I can help you with?" His voice was friendly but she could have _sworn_ it had a subtle hint of suggestion.

She was completely off balance. All the wind had been blown out of her sails so to speak. In about two seconds she was going to royally piss this man off. Either uncle Liam was going to come looking to see what was going on and blow her cover or she was going to have to tell him. She hated being dishonest. She figured she'd had as much fun as she was allowed to have. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she noticed his smirk turn into a slight frown as his eyebrows came together. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Cain." His frown deepened at her now forced smile. "I was actually looking for my uncle, we're supposed to have lunch together. Is he here?"

His whole body went stiff as he stared at her. She sighed almost inaudibly knowing this was bound to happen. She gave him an apologetic look and waited patiently for him to speak. "The duke is your uncle?" His voice was bland. She flinched and nodded.

Stepping to the side he held the door open and indicated that she should enter the room. She moved past him with a stiff spine unable to determine his exact mood. Honestly, she didn't know why she felt so bad. All she wanted was some human contact without the constant judgment she always received, but this was even worse than when she heard people talking about her behind her back. Maybe she should apologize to him in a day or two when he calmed down a little. As she pondered that he entered another room after a short knock on the door. While he was gone she carefully rearranged her face so no emotion was showing on it.

Seconds later and her uncle entered the room at a brisk pace. "DG! How are you today!"

Smiling her false smile she lied through her teeth. "Wonderful." She saw the Tin Man watching her with a look of suspicion on his face behind her uncle's back. "It finally stopped raining so I had lunch set up for us on the terrace. Are you ready?"

"Ah, of course, but first I'd like to introduce you to Wyatt Cain." He waved the Tin Man forward. The younger man moved forward and bowed without hesitation, although his eyes glinted at her accusingly.

Her smile never faltered. "I hate to disappoint you but we've already met."

Her uncle seemed deflated. "Have you?" Panic flashed in the Tin Man's eyes. So he was going to go with the panic route, which was great.

If they lied about their original meeting they could get caught. That could be terribly bad if it got out. Better to skew it a little. "Yes, after I moved the truck to the garage I went to see what kind of damage it had sustained. When I was looking at it Mr. Cain arrived and showed me a little bit about how the engine worked." Now the Tin Man was confused again.

The Mystic Man laughed and clapped Cain on the shoulder. "Maybe if he knew more about transports we would have made it the whole way."

He received a glare from his guard in response. She shrugged and lied some more hoping the Tin Man wasn't going to call her bluff. "I wouldn't know." She changed the subject eager to get on with what she had come here for and equally eager to escape those blue eyes that appeared to be sizing her up faster than even Raw had managed to do. "It was nice to see you again, Mr. Cain. It's so pretty out, Uncle Liam-" She looped her arm in his "let's go and enjoy the suns."

The duke followed her readily enough and they left a staring Tin Man in their wake. She wasn't sure she actually breathed again until they were two hallways away from the imposing man. They chatted about inconsequential things as they headed to their destination and she made her uncle laugh when she told him a dirty joke she'd heard. He told her nice young ladies didn't repeat such things and she told him she wasn't all that nice. He laughed harder.

Her patience was tested as they ate their meal and she told him about the viewers and the western coast. Finally, after nearly an hour of small talk he seemed to realize that something was wrong. Now that he asked she went silent and stared off toward the lake. It was beautiful here, with the snow capped mountains in the distance reflecting so perfectly in the water, and the breeze blowing in toward the castle. It was so deceptively peaceful. Her hands began to clench at the wrought iron hand rest of the chair and her breathing began to shallow.

"Dorothy?" The Mystic Man's voice cracked across the table.

Her eyes snapped to his. "Can you feel it coming?" Her voice was a ragged whisper.

"What?" He was more than alarmed by her question.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "You can't." She sucked in air through her mouth. This was what she had been afraid of. Without his help she would continue to flounder in ignorance.

"What are you feeling? Is this like before?"

She felt anger rising in her chest at his apprehensive question. This was not the response she had been expecting. "I told you what happened before and this isn't like that." This wasn't entirely true. This time it was much stronger and was of an entirely different variety.

"Yes, but you lied to me before." His voice was laced with old disappointment.

She smacked her hand down on the top of the table as she snarled at him. "Did it ever once occur to any of you that I might have had a reason to keep what happened to myself?" Her uncle was searching her face as anger over what had happened four years ago began to surface. "You all treated me like a child when I hadn't been one for years!"

"Dorothy-"

"Enough!" She hissed at him as her temper began getting the best of her. "There is something that is about to attack this kingdom. I have spent the last four years in practical exile because of something I didn't do. I have always put Az before me because she will be queen and that is how it should be, she is the only reason I left, and the only reason I came back. I had Az invite you here because you are not bound to the O.Z. as she and mother are. I thought you might have sensed whatever this was as well. Obviously I took the fact that you saw me as a mature and reasonable adult for granted. I'll do this myself."

She stood up, her chair scrapping across the stone loudly. Her uncle grabbed her wrist, panic written across his face. "What do you mean something is about to attack the kingdom?"

She wrenched her arm away. "If I knew that do you think I would be asking you?" Turning on her heel she stormed down the stone steps and across the lawns. That had gone horribly wrong. She hadn't even managed to go a week without being reminded of why she had been sent away in the first place.

Hitting the edge of the lake she started walking around it as she worked off some of her ire. She could feel tears threatening to fall and tried to push them back. It wasn't even the anger that was causing all of it; her fear had increased with the knowledge that her uncle was living in ignorant bliss of whatever was going on. This was horrible. Why couldn't he feel it?

Tired of the view of the lake she spotted one of the trails that cut through Finaqua and veered onto it at random. She recognized this one; it was one of her favorites. A few hundred yards in and there was a large clearing full of wildflowers that she and Az used to play in when they were little. As she rounded the last curve on the path she wiped her hand under her eye to catch a stray tear that had somehow managed to escape and mentally began to call for Raw. She rarely, if ever, gave into that, but she heard him respond and knew he would be with her in a few minutes.

Walking into the brightly colored field she spotted a large flat rock jutting out in the sunlight and jumped up on it. Sitting down she stretched her legs out and let her hand run over the tops of a few bright red wildflowers as she came to the conclusion that she was back at square one. She knew there was imminent magical danger somewhere and had absolutely no plan of attack or protection for her, her family, or the realm. She glanced up at the cloudless spring sky. This was a big problem.

"Hey there, Princess." Her head twisted around and she found herself looking at a disgruntled Tin Man. That was problem too.

Author Note: My goodness! There are interesting questions all over this story! Where did DG meet Raw? Why was DG sent away? What is Cain thinking? What does Feisty want? I'll tell you the last one right now! Reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Tin Man is not my property.

When he opened the door to the Mystic Man's suite and found Deeg in the hall he was baffled and delighted. He had not expected this woman to come to him. She really seemed more of the 'hunt her down until the memory of her drove you up a tree' type. In fact, he had devoted the rest of his day into discretely asking about who this mechanic was, to satisfy his curiosity, before going into the garage to see if she had his truck working.

The fact that she wasn't working and was still in a pair of pants somehow increased his interest in her, if that was at all possible. He took her in, appreciating the view she was giving him. He saw her fighting back the urge to fidget and smiled, deciding to pick up where they had left off yesterday. "I'm afraid there aren't any trucks or dresses here. Is there something else I can help you with?" He noticed she had caught his meaning but he didn't get the teasing response he had been expecting from her.

Her eyes darted past him and her shoulders slumped slightly as the light left her eyes. He felt his smile falling as the woman he met last night began to retreat and resignation took her place. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Cain." His frown deepened as she plastered a fake smile on her face. Only years of watching people allowed him to notice the difference. "I was actually looking for my uncle, we're supposed to have lunch together. Is he here?"

His whole body went stiff as he stared at her. What? _What?_ The _mechanic_ was the old man's crazy niece? There was no way. He had been openly flirting with a princess of the realm? _The unstable one?_ "The duke is your uncle?" He kept his voice as emotionless as possible. He did not need to let her know that she had managed to trick him so well. Nineteen years as a Tin Man and he hadn't been able to tell she was outright lying to him? He didn't know what kind of joke this was but he was in no way amused.

Whatever reaction he had been expecting from her he didn't get. She flinched at the sudden change in his demeanor and nodded in confirmation. He stepped aside to let her in thinking this might be a part of some strange game she was playing. He stalked past her silent form to go retrieve her _uncle_ from his room.

He tended to think royalty was odd but the next three minutes sent his opinion to a whole new level. From the second the duke walked in to the second they left Princess Dorothy Gale made an effort to not only hide every emotion that she was feeling, and now that he figured out she was doing it he was watching for it, but to protect him from any indiscretion that may have occurred between them. She lied about how she was feeling, which was anything but wonderful. She lied about how they met, and then she lied about her very thorough knowledge of automobiles. Once she was done lying she lead the duke away from him expertly.

By the time the door shut he wasn't even sure if he was mad at her anymore. She had ample opportunity to get him fired, hexed, thrown out of the palace, or beheaded. Instead she had given him a look that clearly conveyed she felt horrible about the whole incident. He was baffled beyond reason.

He headed to the garage to check on the progress of his truck. A portly man in his late fifties informed him that the pickup hadn't been touched since last night but it would be drivable by the time they had to leave. He didn't ask who was working on it. He didn't even comment on the fact that he was positive it would be much better than drivable. He already knew the battered old thing would be bumbling down the road as if it had just rolled out of the factory. Too distracted to read and feeling in the way standing about the garage he went outside.

He decided to go for a walk to clear his head. As he stepped into the woods he spotted the duke and his niece on the terrace in the distance. The young woman was looking off toward the mountains and he glanced away as he tromped into the forest. This was utterly ridiculous. The princess had played him, _him_, a highly trained bodyguard prone to suspicion, like a harp and he couldn't figure out why. As he meandered down a randomly chosen trail he tried to figure out her motivation. What possible purpose could she have had by playing with him the way she did?

Stepping to the edge of a flower covered clearing he leaned against a tree and tugged the brim of his hat down. She hadn't known who he was when he had started grilling her about the destruction of the truck and she hadn't snapped at him about his disrespectful attitude either. In fact she had genuinely been enjoying herself as they bantered back and forth. That much he could tell after seeing her pretending to be someone else in the duke's rooms. Now that had been strange. Why had she shifted so suddenly?

As he tried to work that out the princess in question stormed into the clearing. He tipped his hat back in surprise. Apparently there was no escaping her. He had obviously been lucky to make it this long in life avoiding her. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her jump up on top of a rock near the edge of the field and nudge the tops of a few of the flowers.

Deeg, the princess, he corrected himself, made a lovely picture sitting there. The dark blue shirt she was wearing contrasted beautifully with the red and pink flowers that surrounded her on the island of stone. He should leave now before she saw him, before he got himself involved any deeper. She was trouble; he knew that from the second he had hidden her behind the truck. Pushing off the tree he was in the process of doing just that when she looked up at the sky. Her face was radiating so much worry and fear that he was frozen where he stood.

The look on her face didn't reflect a woman prone to fits of willfulness. She appeared to be deep in thought as her hand continued to swirl around the colorful blossoms. The princess seemed so concerned and frustrated that he found himself, against all his better judgment, moving closer to her. Ozma help him if he didn't need an answer to at least one of the dozens of questions buzzing around his head about her.

"Hey there, Princess." Her head twisted around at the sound of his voice. He saw guilt, frustration, exhaustion, and worry sparking sluggishly behind her eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Cain." She gave him a small strained smile. "I think I owe you an apology." He raised an eyebrow. She was going to apologize to him? Unexpected. Now that he thought on it he wasn't entirely sure she had done anything wrong. She must have interpreted his silence as agreement on the subject because she continued to talk. "It wasn't fair of me to do that to you. I won't mention it to anyone."

She broke eye contact and stared back down the trail she had come from. He studied her profile intently and made a decision he truly hoped he wasn't going to regret. "I have a feeling you don't mention a lot of things to people." Blue eyes flew to his face and her body posture changed. She was on the verge of running or fighting. He had hit a nerve, that was for damn sure.

"I don't know what you mean." The flirtatious Deeg was back in an instant and he went on guard. Talking to her was like petting a papay. You never knew when you were about to loose your hand.

"Like hell you don't."

She cocked her head and snickered. "Did you just curse at a princess of the realm?"

His lip twitched. "I did."

"You have a very poor sense of survival. You better be careful at court."

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the warning."

Her eyes went hazy again and he wasn't sure if she was suddenly aware of who she was talking to or if it was his wording. There was something very wrong going on here. He had seen enough people in distress in his life to know that this woman was in some sort of trouble. A part of him, the part that had made him such a good cop, had him reaching out to her without hesitation. Kneeling down so they were level he tapped her leg, which he hoped like hell he wasn't going to get blasted for, to get her attention. The princess blinked at him. "Are you alright?"

Surprisingly, instead of immediately lying to him, she wavered. Her eyes searched his for a long time as if she were trying to decide something. Before she could come to any sort of conclusion a catastrophe of sound went up around them. Deeg gasped sharply and her entire body convulsed backward as hundreds of birds started screeching like mad and taking off from the forest and field all around them. Instinctively he reached out and grabbed her so she wouldn't tumble off her perch as the air was filled with the sound of beating wings. He tugged her against him with one arm and reached for his gun with the other as his eyes flew around the clearing searching for the source of the disturbance.

The princess began to struggle against him as he dragged her to the ground and a strange rumbling sound filled the clearing. "DG!" His head snapped around at the fearful call and he saw the viewer at the entrance to the clearing being held back by the Mystic Man's magic. The duke's face was furrowed in concentration as the viewer began to pace around the confines of the glowing cage.

Before he could haul her toward the safety of the magic shield the duke had thrown up the ground below them began to tremble. His head whipped back around to the steadily increasing sound at the same time the princess's did and he heard her disbelieving exclamation. A herd of panicked deer crashed out of the forest and started charging toward them at breakneck speed. All thoughts of propriety flew out the window as he roughly grabbed as much of her body as he could, wedged her between the rock and the ground, and threw his body over hers in an effort to prevent her from being trampled to death.

He felt all the air leave her lungs in a whoosh seconds before the animals began to race over them. Luckily the rock provided them with at least some protection as the animals either leapt over it, and them, or ran around it. It was unlucky that at least two of them weren't paying attention. He felt a solid impact against his ribs and grunted as a hoof connected. He barely registered the pain before another clipping blow hit his temple. He saw a few stars and tried to come to grips with the fact that he had been kicked in the head by a deer, something that he could honestly say had never happened to him before. It wasn't registering very well at the moment.

As quickly as the herd had overtaken them they passed and he cracked an eye open to make sure they were safe before he dared to move. He could see the stragglers racing around the blue shield in the distance as the viewer placed his hands on the barrier, his eyes trained on the far side of the clearing. "Get up!" Below him the princess was squirming like mad as she tried to claw her way out from under him.

He growled at her and her total lack of appreciation over the pain he had sustained to keep her safe. "Take it easy! I think my rib is broken."

She shoved him so hard he rolled to the side. "Run!"

"What?" He knew he was staring at her like she was crazy but she was already trying to shove him toward her uncle as her head twisted toward the trees.

Behind them Raw roared in rage. That scared him. He could count on one hand the number of times he had ever heard a viewer roar. The princess was on her feet and running in the opposite direction the deer had taken before he could register what was happening.

"No, Dorothy!" The Mystic Man shouted in panic and at the sound he lunged for the girl in a ditch attempt to stop her from doing whatever it was that had the duke so frightened. He missed and was too dumbfounded by what was oozing out of the forest to try to stop her a second time.

As he watched a flat, ash colored mist rolled out from the base of the trees and onto the meadow. For a second it seemed to be nothing more than the natural output of a forest fire, until you noticed it rolling in the opposite direction of the wind. Then something even more bizarre began to occur. Everywhere the mist touched the plants began to whither and die. He sucked in a breath and looked at the trees, they were beginning to creak and groan as their trunks cracked and flaked away, the fog inching slowly up and around them, caressing them like a long lost lover.

He was suspended in place as he watched the destruction of this small space grow. As the mist crept silently across the field one of the trees gave out a low groan of protest and crashed to the ground with one final snap of its great trunk. As it hit the earth white light flared out in the center of the field so brightly that he had to squint his eyes. He had never seen magic like what Deeg was displaying now, and he had seen the Mystic Man use the full force of his power on more than one occasion.

Where the duke's magic was tinged with pale blue, the princess was radiating pure white energy that he could feel from nearly thirty feet away. She extended her hands outward and all her power ran into them in a rush. Magic began to pour from her in waves, disappearing into the distance, as it brushed around the gray mist and began to corral it toward a central point. She was focused on what she was doing and he saw beads of sweat start to form on her forehead.

As if the fog could sense her plan it rushed toward her at an alarming rate of speed and she snapped her energy in after it taking a step back and shoving her hands in front of her face as it lashed at her. Behind her Raw and the duke shouted in unison.

The gray fog swirled upward and she twisted her wrist, trapping it. It fell back in on itself and began to solidify into a strange humanoid shape as it lunged at her small body. With a high pitched hiss the solidified mass of ash began to surround her, covering her light in swirling darkness.

"_Dorothy!_" The Mystic Man's hoarse shout reached his ears as Deeg clenched her teeth and dug her feet into the ground.

Author Note: Excitement! I love action scenes! Tralalala!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Tin Man still isn't mine. Oh well.

The princess was going to die. _Damn it_. He started running toward her and whatever the hell it was that was trying to smother her to death as the tendrils closed around her. He reached the edge of the dead area, his gun in hand, as the thing began to contract around the princess. He found himself with very few options. Raising his gun he shot at what he thought might conceivably be the mist creature's head. What possible impact a bullet was going to have on mist he didn't know, but he had to do something.

The shots must have had some affect because it hissed like a steaming kettle and a few holes began to appear in the blanket of grey that had been surrounding Deeg. The moment there was give her light erupted outward and began to tear away at the dark magic that surrounded her. It didn't try to flee a second time.

Their magic clashed with such force that he was thrown to his back among the still living plants. He turned to his side, adrenaline pumping, to find the princess ripping her opponent to shreds. Her light was slicing into the mist and causing it to dissipate with swift efficiency. The creature let loose one last ear piercing shriek that Deeg cut short with a final blast of energy. A small metallic object fell from the general area of its chest and hit the ground with a soft thud.

The princess staggered as her arms dropped limply to her sides. She was breathing heavily as she looked over at him, concern written all over her tired face. "Are you ok?"

There was no way she could be serious. She had almost been killed by some kind of fiendish mist monster and she was asking him if he was ok? What was wrong with this woman? "Am I ok?" His voice was laced with incredulity as he got to his feet.

She wiped the back of her hand over her forehead and his eyes zeroed in on her palm in horror. "You said your rib was broken."

"DG!" Raw and the duke were racing across the field toward them as he carefully took hold of her wrist and held her hand palm up between them.

"Hey! What-" Her protest died on her lips when she caught sight of her hand. He grasped her other wrist and held them together as she began to shake. He was sure the adrenaline she had been feeling had prevent the pain from registering while she was fighting, but now that she could see the wounds her brain was catching up with the situation. Both of her hands looked as if they had been flayed open repeatedly with a whip. There was so much blood welling up out of the cuts that he could barely see how many there were.

"Oh." He looked back up and found her biting her lip. He ran his thumb over the unbroken skin of her wrists in a soothing manner as the other two men ran up to them.

"By the grace of the rainbow what were you thinking?" The Mystic Man's face was red and he was panting nearly as hard as the princess was. The princess rolled her eyes and he felt his lip twitching.

"I was kinda thinking I should stop the mist of evil before it killed us all."

"The mist of evil?" The duke was beside himself. "Do you even know what that was?"

Her head reared up and she snatched her bleeding hands away from him. "Do I know what it was?" He found himself taking an involuntary step away from her as magic began to spark around her in response to very obvious rage. "What do you mean, do I know what it was?" She started shouting and swaying all at once. "I already told you I don't know what it was! All I can do is feel it and you don't believe me! So why don't you tell me what it was because that wasn't all of it! It was only a little piece! It's still coming from all over and it won't stop because I can't-"

The viewer grabbed her shoulders and hummed. "Enough now." Apparently he had missed something.

He thought the viewer was the bravest man he had ever seen. The princess stopped yelling mid-sentence at the gentle command. She pressed her lips together and held her hands up to Raw in an unspoken plea. The viewer inspected her mangled skin with an upturned lip before pressing her hands together. She flinched noticeably but made no effort to move away from him as he covered both of her small hands with his gloved ones. When Raw took his hands away he nodded and the princess opened her hands. They were healed but were still covered in her blood.

"Thanks, Raw, that stung."

To his surprise the viewer reached up and petted her head affectionately "Raw know. Anymore?"

"Not here."

"There shouldn't have been one anywhere near here to begin with." The duke's voice had lost all hint of anger. He was now looking between his niece and the dead area with a calculating glint in his eye.

"Why?" This day had really gone down hill. "What was that thing?"

"It was a kaellor demon."

He stared at the duke. "She just killed a demon?"

"Wait." Deeg sounded confused. "In Finaqua?"

The Mystic Man was frowning. "Odd isn't it?"

"Why is that odd?" Not that he'd ever even heard of a kaellor demon but he would love some of those answer right now. And speaking of answers, not only had he not gotten any, all he had now were more questions. This was frustrating. "And what's a kaellor demon?"

"They were made by a sorcerer as weapons in the time of the ancients. At least that's how the legend goes. They're nearly impossible to kill as they turn anything they touch to ash. They were trapped by white magic due to their destructive nature in the Northern Wastelands. I've only heard stories of them and never a tale of them past the peaks of mountains."

"Ever?"

"Ever." The duke said this with such conviction that he simply shook his head. Which caused him to notice two things, his head hurt, and his rib was definitely broken.

He saw a paw coming toward his head out of the corner of his eye and jerked away. "Watch it, Furball!" He was still on edge from the attack.

The viewer paused with his hand between them. "Demon sent."

They all looked at him. The princess heaved a sigh. "Surprise."

The Mystic Man had ventured over to the destroyed area and picked up the metallic object that had dropped away from the demon. "My, my, my. What is this?"

Deeg perked up and turned to go investigate whatever her uncle had found. He figured he should probably follow them but the viewer tapped him on the arm. "Heal wounds."

He considered this briefly before nodding. The viewer closed his eyes and went into another trance as he focused his gift into his body. It wasn't often that he had been treated by one of the western tribe, and it wasn't a painless process, but it was fast. In less than a minute his rib had knit back together and he could feel the lump that had been forming on the back of his head vanish. "Much obliged."

Raw rumbled quietly as he leaned away. "DG mean no harm in garage." His gaze sharpened on the viewer. "Sometimes lonely."

The princess was lonely? She was a princess; she had to have people practically hanging off of her for attention, no matter how odd her behavior was. He searched the viewers face for signs of dishonesty but his inspection was cut short when the duke called him over. Walking over to the two magic wielders he saw the duke holding what looked like a battered iron sundial in his hand. His eyebrow quirked up in interest. That was a strange thing to have fall out of a demons chest. Not that he was any expert.

The duke's hand was pulsing sporadically with his magic as his niece watched him with avid curiosity. He didn't bother to ask what the Mystic Man was doing. For once he recognized the spell that was being used from the pattern of light dancing around the object. He was weaving a tracking spell on the metal. Eventually he let the spell go with a frustrated shake of his head. "I can't get a grip on anything. It's ephemeral at best. How did you sense this at all?"

She regarded her uncle seriously. "So you believe me then?"

"Oh, yes." He held the sundial up to the light so he could see it better. "I don't think there can be any doubt that we have a problem."

He thought that was a foreboding statement coming from the Mystic Man. Deeg seemed to be considering the object in question. "So what is that thing?"

"Maybe he needed to know what time it was?" He asked sarcastically.

Deeg snickered at the question and the duke shot him a look. Raw however ignored his attempt to lighten the mood. "Tether."

The old man murmured distractedly. "Interesting. You have a powerful gift Master Viewer."

Raw shrugged. "Raw no master. Only viewer."

The duke glanced at him. "As you say. Why don't we continue this conversation inside? I'm sure Dorothy would like to clean herself up."

"Is the blood and sweat not pretty, Uncle Liam?" She asked sweetly as she batted her eyes. Now that the duke had agreed with whatever it was they had been arguing about her mood had noticeably improved.

"My dear, you could make anything look pretty. I simply thought you might want to sit down after expending enough magic to power Central City for a week." And that's when he saw it. These two were exactly the same. He wasn't sure if he should laugh, scream, or turn in his resignation on the spot. Behind him he heard the viewer chuckle softly.

The duke pocketed the small sundial as he prepared to head back to the palace. He hadn't taken three steps before the princess stopped him. "Hold on. I need to fix it before we leave."

Angling her body away from them she extended her hand toward the swath of destruction behind them as she closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. When she called out her magic this time there was nothing harsh or dangerous about it. She glowed faintly and a single ripple of light fell from her fingertips. It washed over the crumpled plants and fallen tree. As they watched the plants quivered and bent up toward the suns. The flowers that had been dead blossomed again and the fallen tree flew back up and shook itself like a dog ridding itself of water. When her spell was done it looked as if nothing had ever happened in the field.

When Deeg turned around to follow them back to the palace there was a stubborn playing set to her jaw and he felt his stomach drop to his feet. She was a mess standing there. Her hair was wild, her face was sweaty, and she was as tired as anyone he had ever seen. But for all of that she was beautiful. And she had proven that she was beyond brave. He'd had an interest in her after they had spoken in the garage, now he was afraid he might have a much bigger problem. If Adora could see him now she would have laughed herself silly.

Author Note: Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I'm very happy that you are all so happy with this story and appreciate the time you're taking to leave me your comments. I'm starting classes in a few days so the chapters may be spaced out a little more but they'll go up as quick as I can get them. I look forward to hearing from you!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Tin Man does not belong to me.

It had been a mistake to use more magic. She knew better, really she did. After all she had just fought with that demon thingy, but she couldn't leave the field she used to play in dead and barren. They walked onto the trail and it was like an invisible hand smacked her upside the head. Repercussions much? Through the backlash she slipped into she tried to come to grips with what had happened. She had just fought and killed a _demon_. She had been lying to herself all these years. She _was_ crazy. For a few seconds she had been engulfed by dark magic so ancient and powerful that she wasn't sure her light could stop it.

Fighting back a wave of late breaking panic she hoped the shaded path hid the fear that flashed through her like a wild fire. Distracted by her emotions she stumbled over an exposed root with a yip and would have fallen flat on her face if two strong arms hadn't caught her around her waist and hauled her back upright. "Graceful little thing aren't you?"

Raw chuckled and continued toward Finaqua as her uncle glanced over his shoulder at them. "Hey!" She squawked at him indignantly. "I recently saved your life if I do recall correctly. You could at least be a gentleman and pretend to ignore my blatant inability to use my feet." It wasn't her fault she acted like an inebriated fool when her energy level got too low. That was simply the unfortunate downside of her gift.

"I saved you from the deer first." He pointed out smugly as he set her back on her feet.

This irked her, partially because he was right and partially because he still had one of his hands on the small of her back to keep her steady as they continued down the path. It was distracting and helpful. Why did he feel the need to be helpful? "Yes, because I was real worried about the fuzzy forest denizens while there was a demon bearing down on us."

"Alright." He shrugged and removed his hand. "Next time there's a stampede you're on your own."

"You feel there may be a next time?" She shot him a disbelieving glance. "Are you often attacked by deer? The most harmless of all the forest dwellers, excepting bunnies of course." Her legs gave way again and he rolled his eyes as he simply wrapped one of his arms around her waist and held her against his side as they walked.

"Me?" He slung her arm over his shoulder, he had really nice shoulders her mind happily proclaimed, to make it easier for him to keep up with the other two men. She was suddenly very aware that she was not in the best shape. She was dirty and disgusting and currently pressed against this gorgeous man. Life was not fair. "No, that was the first time I was ever attacked by deer. However, now that I'm in the presence of two Gale's it's only a matter of time before some other herd animal tries to kill me. Next time it will probably be yaks."

She was aware she wasn't thinking as clearly as normal but that didn't even make sense. She looked toward her uncle then up at the Tin Man. "You lost me."

He smiled down at her and she blamed the magic loss on her weak legs. "Goat cult."

She drew the words out to make sure she had heard him correctly. "_A goat cult?_"

"Your uncle has odd friends." His lip was twitching like mad as she eyed him.

"Obviously."

He laughed at that and she fought the smile that was hovering around her mouth. Her uncle spoke up. "I would hardly call those people my friends, Wyatt. They tried to turn me into one of their goats."

"On the bright side it may have made you easier to keep track of."

"Would be helpful with DG." Raw commented thoughtfully from the front of the party. "Raw and Tin Man could become farmers. Easier."

"You know, no one even likes you." She commented good-naturedly. Raw let loose one of his rumbling chuckles as they stepped out from under the trees. "And what would you even do if you weren't constantly searching for me? I'll tell you. You'd be bored and chubby."

"Be relaxed and out of trouble is what Raw would be."

She ignored his grumbling and continued. "And you know if I somehow got turned into a goat I would be the most annoying animal ever. I'd chew through ropes, I'd break fences, and I would definitely head butt you." The Tin Man had started shaking with silent laughter against her. "So I fail to see how either of you would benefit by us getting transformed into goats."

Her uncle was shaking his head as her viewer answered. "Raw see DG's point."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you just agreeing with me so I'll be quiet?"

"Raw never do such a thing." He replied dryly.

Cain laughed. "Your viewer's a liar."

"You think?" She grumbled.

By this time they had made it back to the terrace. The Mystic Man had his hand in his pocket and Wyatt was sitting her down on the chair she had shoved away from the table after their fight. She sank into the metal seat somewhat gratefully. She wasn't sure if she was relieved to be away from the Tin Man or not. His presence had been doing weird things to her body.

"I need to talk to Lavender about this." Her uncle had pulled the sundial out again.

That sobered her up faster than sleep could. She felt the blood draining from her face. "Are you kidding?"

Uncle Liam wasn't even looking at her. "Don't be silly, Dorothy, she needs to know her people might be in danger."

She clawed at her self-control and threw her mask on in desperation. She thought it was too little too late, even if her slip had only lasted half a moment. The Tin Man had pushed his hat up and was watching her with that inscrutable expression again. She needed to get out of here and she had a perfect excuse. "Right. I'm going to go change."

Raw extended his gloved hand to her before the Tin Man could and she managed to keep her legs stable beneath her as she walked away from the three men. By the time she got back to her room she was in such a state that she could barely get the door handle to work.

As soon as her mother found out about this she was going to be shipped out again. When she had asked to come back a month ago, after the feelings had started up, she had gotten a letter from the queen. She meant the queen, not her mother, not even Lavender, but the queen. The same woman that had sent her away had replied to her request promptly. It was well written and to the point. She had been told if she set so much as a magical toe out of line, if she made Az look bad in any way, she would not be welcome back in the presence of the royal couple again. Ever.

It wasn't in her nature to beg. It definitely wasn't in her nature to submit to anyone, not even her mother, who happened to be the queen. Which may have been a contributing factor to her trip away. However, her fear for her sister was so great that she had done both instantly. Three weeks later and here she was. It had taken all her patience, cunning, and manipulation to get her uncle here. Her goal had been to get more information before she did anything so she could isolate the source of what was going on before she was forced to do anything.

Then once the threat was neutralized her mother could do what she wanted with her. Az would be safe, the throne would be secure, and she would be shunted to the side to, well, she had never figured that out. She had even started considering slipping over to her father's world. At least no one would know anything about her there. She could start out fresh. But it didn't much matter really, because now her whole plan was shot to hell. Day three and she had used her magic in front of three witnesses.

She tried to rally herself as she fumbled with the door. It's not like she had a choice in the matter and uncle Liam might back her up; he said that he believed her. He had cast that tracking spell. She wouldn't let herself be separated from her sister. She couldn't be. It was out of the question. She would beg if she had-

"Deeg! You are not getting away this time!" Her sister was standing in front of the window with several swatches of fabric draped over one of the chairs. "We are working on your dress and I have got to tell you something!" Her sister held up a bolt of red velvet as she beamed across the room at her. Her dazzling smile fell with the fabric when she caught sight of her.

"Baby sister?" She shut the door behind her with a snap as her sister stared at her.

"Hey, Az." Her voice cracked. "Let me take a bath and then we can do whatever you want, ok?"

She tried to escape but Az caught up to her when she got to her bedroom. "Why are you covered in blood? And what happened to your magic?"

"It's fine. Raw healed me." She nudged Az to the side and slid into the bathroom. As she turned on the water she heard her sister in the doorway.

"He healed you? What was wrong with you?" Her sister's voice was demanding.

She sighed. "I was out in one of the fields and I was attacked by a kaellor demon. I killed it, but when our magic hit, it cut up my hands. I'm fine. I just need to clean up, ok?" The last thing she wanted was to upset Az. She was fine after all. She had handled the situation, just like always.

"What?" Her sister's eyes were flashing in rage. "You could have been killed! How did something like that get in here?" Az was flashing with power.

"I don't know-"

"I'm going to talk to mother-"

"Uncle Liam is taking care of it, Az." She let her hair down as she spoke. "He might even be able to convince mother to let me go to Central City."

Her sister stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about? Why wouldn't you come home? Did you hit your head?" Her small hands came up to her face and began to check her over.

"No."

Violet-flecked eyes searched hers. "If your sure your not hurt?" She nodded and smiled. "Ok, take your bath and then dresses?"

At this point she would do anything to stay near her sister. She would even put up with being dressed up like a living doll. "Yup."

Az gave her a parting smile and shut the door behind her. After a very hot bath she got out, and with a mental sigh, slipped into a simple tan shift that her sister could mold a dress around. As she walked into her sitting room she was patting her hair dry with a towel. It was taking most of her energy to stand; she thought it would be unwise to use the rest of her magic to dry her hair.

Az took care of the problem for her with a wave of her hand. With a second wave she had made a small wooden stool for her to stand on while she literally worked her magic. She stepped up on it with a grumble. "You know I hate this."

"Come on, baby sister, I haven't been able to dress you up since you were seventeen." Az was already heading back for the red velvet. Not good.

"For good reason. You know I don't like parties." Az stood next to her and flipped the fabric out. It twisted around her body of its own accord until it squeezed the air out of her. A minute later and she was standing in a sleeved, body hugging dress, that left far to little to the imagination for her taste. She would stand out like a sore thumb. "No."

"But, Deeg-"

"No!" She glared. "I refuse to wear this! Pick a different fabric."

Az pouted and the gown fell apart at the seams. It landed on the floor with a soft swish. "Fine." Her sister began to sift through the dozens of colors and she groaned. This was going to take hours. She had miscalculated.

"Az, please, I'm tired."

Her sister put her hands on her hips. "What color then?"

"Are you serious?" That was like asking a chicken if it would prefer to be served roasted or fried. Either way it would be unpleasant. Az's hand started inching toward a gold brocade. "Gray!" She barked out frantically before her sister could touch it.

"Gray? You want a gray dress?" Her sister sounded disgusted with her.

It was easier to fade into the background in a neutral color. She had a very clear memory of what this was going to be like. "Yes."

"If that's what you want." Her sister replied compliantly. Warning bells started going off in her head. That had been far too easy. As if the universe was mocking her, Az reached into the bottom of the pile and drew out a satin gray fabric that flashed navy blue when the light hit it in a certain way.

She held her hands out between them. "You know that wasn't what I meant!"

Dark eyes grew in size as the heir professed her innocence. "But you said gray."

"I-" Az flipped the fabric around her. She resisted the urge to fight as the top portion of her body was encased in an intricately detailed corset. At her hips the shiny fabric flared out in several crisscrossing waves that eventually ended at her toes. Even with the corset she could at least breath in this. "Az-"

"With the jewelry I have in mind this is perfect."

This wasn't working into her blending plan. "But Az-" She protested weakly.

"The gray actually brings out your eyes." _Great._ "You need shoes." She snapped her fingers and a pair of heals that matched the dress appeared next to the stool.

"Look, Az, the dress is gorgeous." Which was true, she rather wished it wasn't her that had to wear it was all. "But do we have to have this party? Honestly, I'd rather have dinner with you and our parents. You know, just us?" Minus the mass of people, most of which would be talking about her, not to mention the deadly magic that could be bouncing around.

Her sister shifted slightly. "Yes, we have to have the party."

"Why?" She hoped she didn't sound like she was whining.

Her sister had a strange dreamy smile on her face. "I need to tell you something."

She tried to untie the laces on the corset so she could escape from it for the time being. "Shoot."

"The party is two fold."

Ozma, more politics. "Meaning?"

"Deeg, I'm getting married. We're announcing our engagement at the ball."

Author Note: You guys are always after weddings. Here's one!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Tin man isn't mine.

Her hands froze behind her back, tangled in glossy ribbon. She stood on the stool in the center of her sitting room staring at her sister in silence. While it was true she had been gone for a long time she and Az had kept in contact. She had written to her sister at least once a month for the last four years, and if Az hadn't been as consistent it had been a close thing. Never once, in all of those letters, had she ever mentioned a love interest. "You're what?"

Az sent her a wicked smile. "Getting married."

"To who?"

"Lord Ambrose." Her mother's advisor? Az was grinning as her mind raced. Az had spoken of him a few times but only as a friend and confident. Her sister was pleased at surprising her so well but she just felt hurt by the sudden information. Why hadn't she heard about this sooner? How long had they been courting?

"How-" She started.

"Almost two years now." Az anticipated her question. "Oh, Deeg, I am so happy!"

She stepped down and felt her smile falling obediently into place. "Then so am I." She remembered Ambrose well enough. He had always been polite and sweet to her. Not to mention the fact that he was brilliant in every sense of the word. He would be an excellent consort and had a good grip on the political arena. If he made Az happy she supposed that was all that mattered.

Her sister made a noise in the back of her throat and she found herself engulfed in a pair of arms that were a lot stronger than they seemed to be. She hugged Az back before wheezing at her. "Az, can't breathe. Dress killing little sister."

The heir released her directly. "Oops!" Spinning her around Az began to loosen the dress with swift efficiency. "I know you never spent a lot of time around him but just wait until you get to know him! I mean, I don't think Daddy really understands him, but he's-"

"A little crazy?" She had a sudden image of the man in question covered in the remnants of one of his experiments with his eyebrow on fire. That had really been a fun day for her, mostly because she hadn't been blamed for the giant smoking hole in the wall.

Her sister flicked the back of her head and she yelped. "A genius!"

"Ok, ok! Lover boy is a genius."

"Deeg!" Az stomped her foot, forgetting she was not fifteen anymore. "Do not call him that!"

Grinning evilly she managed to wriggle out of the dress. As it collapsed at her feet she jumped away from it and stuck her tongue out at her sister, intent on making up for all the time she missed out on teasing her. "Az has a _lover boy_!"

"That's not funny! Stop making fun of him! Ambrose is a wonderful man!"

"Are you sure?" She felt mischief racing down her spine as she judged the distance between her sister and her room with a critical eye. "Did you make him a man, Az?" She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Her sister shrieked in annoyance and sent a bolt of light at her. She dodged to the side with a laugh aiming for her large wooden doors. She didn't have the energy to play 'who can blast who better' now. "Get back here you coward!"

"No thanks! I can see you're serious about lover boy." She used the door to block a second shot of low level magic aimed at her. She was jolted back a few inches by the force of it, although if it had hit her it wouldn't have done much more than tingle. "I approve of the crazed genius." She peeked around the door and saw her sister with her hands over her hips and glaring. Smiling softly at her she continued. "Do you love him?"

Az relaxed. "More than anything."

"Does he love you back?"

Her sister didn't hesitate. "Yes."

She nodded then. "Good, you deserve that." She was still going to have Raw read her sister's fiancé for safety purposes but that could wait until they got to the capitol. Her eyes went to the dress her sister had made for her. "I'll go to the party if you need me to."

The heir beamed at her. "I knew you would! It won't be that bad."

Uhuh, sure. Sometimes she hated her sister for being able to play her so well. "I know. Do you mind if I lay down for a while? I think I need to sleep off my drain."

"Of course. I'll see you at dinner." Az flicked her wrist and all the spare fabric disappeared. Bending down her sister picked up the dress and shoes. "Sleep well, I'll have this pressed and packed for you."

"Thanks." She watched her sister leave before closing her bedroom door and collapsing on her bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow she fell asleep. She felt as if she had just closed her eyes when she was being shaken awake. Lurching backward she was prevented from rolling away by a furry hand on her shoulder.

"Must get up."

She let her head fall back into her pillow. "Whas' the matter?" She slurred intelligently.

"Duke spoke with mother." She felt her heart skip a beat, but Raw continued before she could panic. "Wants us all to leave in morning. Afraid we are being targeted here. Will feel safer with consort."

"Ok." So she was going to be with Az. She felt herself drifting back off as that worry was assuaged for at least the time being.

"Wake up." Raw said insistently. That was not on her to do list. They weren't leaving until tomorrow, which meant she had at least twelve more hours to try to sleep off this achy feeling that had overtaken her body. She whined pathetically at his insistence. "DG must fix truck."

"Crap." She had forgotten about that. "Have to change." The viewer nodded and left her to swap out of the shift she was still wearing in favor of her stained pants. Five minutes later and she and Raw were heading toward the garage. She was anything but her normal perky self as they walked into a place that she normally loved.

"Not expected at dinner." She waited for him to finish his statement when she sent him a questioning thought. "Told mother would need to sleep until morning."

"Thanks." She appreciated that. Her mother wasn't entirely clear on what her capacity for magic was anymore. Which might be a good thing considering the circumstances. Heading toward the truck in the back she found they weren't the first ones here. She came close to heaving a sigh. Apparently the Tin Man hadn't been expecting her to show up to finish the job, judging by the expression on his face.

He glanced up from the engine with her wrench in his hand and his white sleeves rolled up past his elbows. Who in their right mind wore a white shirt to work on a truck? "I thought you said she was sleeping?"

Raw gazed at him calmly. "Also said would get mechanic to fix truck. Why here?"

She decided to ignore this conversation, as her head was pounding, and picking up a pair of pliers began to work the chain off the clutch. It needed to be replaced before she could start to put the rest of the engine back together. "I came to make sure this hunk of junk was ready to go. I don't want us to get stuck between here and the shinnin' city if another demon attacks us."

"I'll have it done in less than an hour." She set the chain on the ground as gently as possible so it wouldn't make any noise. "You won't get stuck anywhere."

As she straightened she found her face caught by one of his large hands and froze at the unexpected contact. His touch had her body zinging. His blue eyes were scanning hers. "Are you sick or did you throw back a few?"

She smacked his hand away, no longer caring how good such a slight touch made her feel, as she snapped at him. "I don't drink!"

"Relax, Kid, I was only askin'." She refused to look at him as she continued her operation on his truck. She was irrationally bothered that he thought she was hung over.

Raw rumbled worriedly behind them. "DG drained."

She clenched her teeth. "Raw, I'm fine." She didn't need him sharing her personal issues with random bodyguards. Even if he had, you know, protected her and stuff. It was probably ingrained in his brain or something. Seriously, how hard would it be to break at least, what, fifteen years of experience? What was it they said about old habits?

"Is that why you were stumbling around the way you were?" She could hear him putting something together and simply gave up. In her own way that is.

Her voice was so dry it could have sucked the moisture out of his body. "No, I walk like that all the time."

"That explains a few things." He murmured softly.

Her hand tightened around the pliers. She was afraid to know what he had just worked out. "Would you hand me the wrench please?" He gave her what she asked for without question and she replaced the chain. As soon as she had wrestled it back on she started piecing the engine back together.

After about twenty minutes of silence, which she had appreciated, he glanced over at the viewer who had taken a seat on the hood of a nearby car. "Why don't you use that fancy gift on her? That should at least make her less stiff."

She dropped a distributor cap as a blast of memory hit her. Bending down to retrieve it she turned her face away from him and toward the floor as she scrambled for the part. Only the knowledge that Raw wouldn't even try that kept her from screaming 'No!' at the top of her lungs.

Her furry friend shook his head. "Raw can't fix magic."

"Why not?" He sounded annoyed that her viewer had limitations, or in this case boundaries. "You healed her hands easily enough. It's not as if she's immune to your gift."

"Hands part of body. Magic part of soul."

"Leave him alone, Tin Man." Her voice was firm as she began tightening the last round of screws. "He's anything but stingy with his gift. It's not his fault I have to rebound on my own." Removing her tool she thought she was done. The engine looked as if it had been fixed, truth be told it probably looked better than it had when it was made. "Done. Try to start it."

Cain was apparently turning over the information he had received in his head as he dug the keys out of his pocket. Going to the driver's side of the truck he opened the door and leaned sideways to put the key in the ignition. She saw his shoulder move as he turned it and the truck gave a low rumble before coming to life. Once it had started she checked over her work again to make sure nothing was going to shake loose before she removed her toolbox and closed the hood.

"All you need to do is make sure it has gas before you leave." She instructed wearily as she placed her tools away in the wall cubby. The sound of the engine, no matter how excellent it was, was going to make her head explode at any moment. All she wanted to do was crawl back in bed and never leave it again.

Turning around she watched as he turned the truck off and banged the door shut. She winced at the noise but wanted to be absolutely sure that they were going to make it back to Central City without incident. The last thing she needed to worry about was her crazy uncle and his bodyguard lost in the woods and being chased by magical creatures of doom. "Is there anything else you need me to fix on it while I'm down here?"

Wyatt frowned as he leaned against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. "I don't understand you."

She blinked blearily at him. "Umm, ok?" Why would he be interested in understanding her?

"First you pretend to be a mechanic, which I can almost understand, except eventually you knew I would find out who you were. Then you lie to your uncle about it, in the same breath you lied to him about what you could do with cars, which makes no sense at all, and then pretend everything is right as rain in your world except for the fact that something magical is trying to destroy the kingdom that no one else can feel." Her eyes darted from him to Raw then back again. What exactly had happened while she had been with Az? "And after walking into the woods alone with this knowledge-" He seemed to be of the opinion that that hadn't been the best plan, "-you are forced to fight and kill a demon to protect the three of us. It almost turns you to ash and then you go and ask me if I'm alright?"

She wasn't at all sure what he was trying to get at but she could feel herself shying away from him even though he hadn't moved a muscle. "Meanwhile, you're hands have been shredded, you've been drained of you're magic, and you were forced to hike back to the palace. Then, not three hours later you're down here fixing a truck, looking as if you've been on the wrong side of the bottle, and asking if you can do anything else for me?" He shook his head. "Kid, I wouldn't expect anyone to be down here after what you did today and you're a princess of the realm."

And there it was. It always circled back around to her rank at the end. She felt sick and sad. Turning away she started toward the door. "I'll leave then."

He must have realized something had gone wrong. "Now that's not what I meant."

"Goodnight, Mr. Cain, Raw."

"Kid!" She didn't respond to his call as she turned out of the garage.

She had to take another bath when she got back upstairs. This time as she sat in the hot water she couldn't stop a few tears from spilling down her cheeks. Today had been too much. She was tired, and sore, and had been surprised once too often. And she blamed herself for the strange pang that she felt over the Tin Man. She knew better than to try to get close to people. It might be better if she stomped out this kindling of a friendship before it started, if that's what it was to begin with.

It would be better for everyone if she stuck to her original plan and ignored the anomaly that was Wyatt Cain. Find the rouge magic, destroy it, and leave. The more she thought about it the better the other side of the rainbow was starting to sound. She'd miss Raw and her sister but they both had family here. She wanted a home of her own again, she missed that feeling.

Author Note: That was a bit depressing, but don't worry, things will perk back up! Leave me one!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Sadly Tin Man does not belong to me. I wanted it. I did. So sad!

"Should not have done that." Raw sighed as Deeg practically bolted from the garage.

"What did I do?" He had no idea what had caused the woman's sudden flight. She had been jumpy since she had come down here and his summery of what had happened over the course of the day wasn't exactly a shocking revelation. She had been there when all those things had happened and he was sure she could tell he was on to her. It wasn't as if had been accusing her of anything. He simply wanted to know what was going on in her head.

"Scared her." To his surprise the viewer didn't sound angry with him. As close as the two were he was shocked that the Furball hadn't tried to attack him. Viewers may be pacifists by nature, but if they were pushed too far they could do a lot of damage, and not just to a person's body. And the girl and the viewer were one of the closest pairs he had ever seen.

One of the most disconcerting things he had ever seen as a Tin Man was the result of a murdered viewer. He had gotten to the scene a few hours after she had been killed and the two men that had survived her gift had been so disturbed that they had barely been able to stutter out words. Three weeks of nearly non-stop investigation and the only thing he had managed to find was that they had been running some kind of slave trade.

He had been frustrated beyond reason by the mysterious lack of evidence. It was as if the room had been wiped clean of clues by someone after she had been killed. It had been hard for him to admit to her pack leader that he had no leads on her case. The only comfort he could offer was that the men that had murdered her were dead or crazy. The older viewer had nodded sagely and told him, very sincerely, that he had done everything he could. After that he had done his best to forget the whole thing. You learned to do that after a while.

"I scared her?" He rubbed his forehead. "She fights demons without a second thought and somehow I'm the scary one?"

"Tin Man kind. DG not understand." Raw cocked his head. "Human's fear what they do not know."

For some reason that made him angry. "You've got to be kidding me!" He had seen her interact with the viewer, although after the meeting he had witnessed between her mother and uncle, not to mention her reaction to the fact that they were going to have a meeting, he was starting to question her families' affection. Initially the queen had been tight lipped when the duke told her Deeg might need to be seen to by her sister until her magic rebounded. It had taken the violet-eyed woman several minutes of listening to what happened along with the evidence of the attack, in the form of the sundial, to get her to calm down, not that she had been overtly showing her feelings. He wasn't even sure the old man had noticed the displeasure her body language was conveying to him but the viewer had picked up on it easily enough.

He had shifted his attention between his queen and the viewer for nearly an hour as the siblings spoke. Raw had been listening for something; that was a sure thing in his book. His dark eyes had been hooded as he read the emotions around the room, his attention fixed on DG's mother. When the three of them left after the queen and the duke decided it would be best to leave, Raw had slipped off after telling him he would have the truck taken care of.

It wasn't until they were back in the Mystic Man's room that he dared to voice his opinion on what had gone on in the last few hours. "That was a strange meeting."

The duke raised his eyebrows as he settled himself in one of the chairs. "How do you mean? Do you think it's a bad idea to head back to the city?"

"No." In fact he thought that was a fine idea. He knew Central City inside and out. He felt secure there; it would be easier to keep his employer safe in a place he was familiar with. "The capitol should be safer."

He walked over to the window and stared out at the edge of the lake before he continued. He didn't know how far his boundaries went when it came to talking about the old man's family. Finally he gave in. "The girl's afraid of her mother." He shook his head as he reconsidered that statement. "Or what she can do."

The duke shot him a puzzled glance. "Dorothy?" He huffed out a laugh and waved his hand. "I've never seen her frightened of anything, let alone her mother. Why would you say that?"

"With all due respect you haven't seen her in years. What do you know about her anymore?" The duke frowned as his laughter faded. "Her viewer came to the meeting with us. Why would he do that?" He decided to lay out what he knew for the duke. They had more than a working relationship, they were friends, he deserved to know everything he did. At least as much information as was necessary to keep himself and his niece safe.

"I'm sure he wanted to know what was going to be done about the situation."

"You mean DG's situation?" He watched the duke as he spoke. "The viewer's loyal to her not her mother. She's part of his pride."

"She what?" The Mystic Man's eyebrows shot to his non-existent hairline.

He shrugged in response. "I don't know how it happened but trust me, he considers her a pack member. I've only heard of two other humans that can claim that, though neither of them are projectin' it."

"That explains why I had to hold him back from the clearing." He mused then refocused on him. "Thank you for saving her."

He grunted. "I don't think I did much."

"You distracted the demon. I'm not even sure she knew you shot it. It could have easily overtaken her since she didn't know what she was fighting. She has more power than I thought she did." He sighed wearily. "I'll see what I can find out about Lavenders part in this."

He shifted as that idea flowed out of the Mystic Man. "I'd be careful about that. Something is going on, I'd hate to see you drawn into it."

"Or get my niece into even more trouble?" The duke was watching him shrewdly.

He raised an eyebrow. If the old man thought he was going to get caught that easily they didn't know each other as well as he'd imagined. "I doubt I could keep her out of it if I wanted to."

"True enough. Dorothy does have a way of attracting it." He stood up from his chair. "I'm going to pack if we're leaving at first light. I'll see you in the morning."

He had nodded and left the rooms, heading to the garage. He'd needed to be sure they could get back to the city tomorrow no matter what the viewer had told them. He didn't want to be left behind if the thing refused to start. He had a sinking feeling that this 'disturbance', as the duke and his sister had labeled it, had only begun. He needed to stay close to help. He needed to stay very close to keep the Mystic Man out of danger. And he needed to stay extremely close to figure the princess out.

He had only been working on the truck for ten minutes before the viewer had arrived with the princess in tow. It took one good look at her for him to decide she needed to be tossed back into bed. It took him equally as long to notice that she was hung over. She was pale, her eyes were dilated, and she was moving like she was forty years older than she was. When she set down the chain that hadn't passed her inspection he had questioned her. It wasn't that he was judging her, though she had sure taken it that way, he wouldn't have blamed her for drinking after this afternoon. He just wanted to be sure she could finish what she was doing without getting sick all over the truck.

He had given her a double take when the Furball had informed him that she was simply drained. He'd only seen the Mystic Man drained once and he hadn't had such a reaction, the duke had simply fallen asleep for nearly two days.

The princess's reaction was much more violent. Then again so was her magic. Deeg was not pleased that Raw had decided to share that with him, but she didn't deny that she was in the throes of a magic drain. He had been floored by that revelation. His mind raced back to all the rumors and stories that he had heard about her over the years. She had been pinned as a scandalous party girl early on, but if this was her reaction to using her magic…

How many times had she been spotted drained and not drunk? She had been badly misrepresented if that was what had been going on. Why had her parents not kept a closer eye on her once they found that out? It wasn't safe for her to be alone if she needed to use her magic in an emergency. She could easily be killed if she were disoriented after a fight. If Jeb had been in her position you could be damn sure that the boy would have had nearly constant supervision, or at least a guard near him all the time, no matter how much he protested.

Then to top off his now radically altered view of her she had asked him if he needed any more help. Ozmas left slipper, the girl didn't stop surprising him. Surely she had to have a limit? She was pushing herself to extremes that were obviously unhealthy for reasons he couldn't explain. He was confused and would admit it. So he told her and she had gazed at him like he had grown a second head. He figured she needed some clarification and since he didn't tiptoe around an issue he had laid it out for her. He'd nearly made her cry, which had not been his intention at all.

So here he was having another conversation with the viewer which he was sure was going to leave him even more confused than before. What had happened to her to make her this way? "You're nice to her and she isn't afraid of you."

"Raw not human."

He glared at the viewer. "You're going to have to give me more to go on than that, Furball!"

"Human's betray. Human's use. This is what DG expects."

"Surely she has friends?"

Raw studied him. "Has Raw."

The viewer must be slow. "I was talkin' about the one's in Central City." Raw stared at him unblinkingly. The girl didn't have any friends? He had thought the viewer meant she was lonely because she hadn't been home in so long. He shook his head as he continued to lean against the car. Maybe he could relay a few facts to her via the Furball. "I don't want anything from her."

The viewer growled humorously. "That so?"

He glared daggers at him. "What are you getting at?"

Raw chuckled. "Tin Man know as well as Raw."

He grunted in frustration. It wasn't surprising the other man had picked up on his thoughts toward her. He didn't see how that was going to help him much considering his status. Deeg was going to be bombarded with eligible men when she reached the capitol. Men with far more prominent families and connections then he could ever hope to obtain. The last thing he needed to do was something stupid to get himself fired. "She's a princess. I highly doubt she'll have much to do with me once we get back."

"DG is DG. Does not enjoy rank." The viewer hummed at him as he contemplated something. "Should not remind her of it. Why she ran."

Things clicked into place. Not everything, but a fair number. She'd been protecting herself the only way she knew how. Anonymity was as much her friend as any dealer or spy he had ever run across. At least if what the viewer was telling him was true. Deeg had been hiding as much as keeping who she was from him. It must have been a relief for her to have a normal conversation with anyone other than the viewer. No wonder she had been so guilty about lying to him, she didn't enjoy it, but she had wanted some normality in her life, as brief as it was. He could only imagine the kinds of people that usually tried to get her attention.

What must that have been like growing up? Once you realized that the people professing to be your friends were, what had Raw said, 'users?'; it was only a matter of time before certain personalities began to turn inward. His use of her title had upset her because she was waiting for some kind of gauntlet to fall. He cursed internally at the predicament he had found himself in.

He looked back up at the viewer. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"DG lonely." He repeated for the second time that day. "Should not be."

"No, why are you telling _me_ this?"

"Will not hurt her." He said with stunning simplicity.

No, he supposed not. Not after his admission to himself out in the field. "I don't think Deeg will be all that happy you told me all this."

Raw shrugged. "Raw will not tell. Tin Man will not tell. Needed to know."

He was starting to question the Furball's ability to manipulate a situation. "I would have worked this out eventually you know."

"DG run now. Afraid of what you have already learned. Would not have gotten the chance."

"Great." How was he supposed to work this out? There was no way he was going to be able to ease into this if she wouldn't hold still long enough for him to slowly talk her to him. He was a patient man but he wasn't a miracle worker.

The viewer stood up and began to drift out of the garage. "Worry too much. Raw sure Tin Man get stuck with DG eventually." That sounded suspiciously like a prediction if he had ever heard one. He made a note to never underestimate Furball, or get on his bad side. He was a crafty devil. "Should sleep. Travel tomorrow."

That was good sense but hardly helpful as his mind started buzzing. This was going to be more of a challenge than he had ever anticipated. But damn if he didn't love a challenge.

Author Note: Are we all happier after this chapter? A few explanations (at least for Cain), a little understanding, and a really stubborn Tin Man. Good right?


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I want it!

She sighed in relief when their car pulled into the courtyard of the Central City Palace. It had been a rough ride for her. Between the tension in the car and her nearly constant monitoring of what was going on around them with her magic she was wiped out. As one of the stewards opened the door for her she stepped out of the car, careful to move more gracefully than normal with the simple brown and white dress she was wearing. She hadn't even protested the fact that she had to wear one today. She didn't need any more gossip starting before she even set foot inside.

Scanning the entire castle with a low-level detection spell she saw her sister dart a look at her before turning to speak with their mother. She didn't sense anything that felt wrong inside, and nothing at all of the magic that had been plaguing her. Raw moved beside her as they waited for uncle Liam and his guard to park behind them. She studiously avoided using his name or even looking in his direction. He had been sending her covert glances all the way through the hedge maze and she had decided very firmly to ignore him. That would make things a lot less complicated.

Once the lot of them were together she trailed behind her sister as they entered the main hall of the palace. Now that she was sure there was no immediate danger she felt her stomach begin to roll. Between seeing her father again and the unpleasant memories this place had for her she would rather be almost anywhere else, but Az was here. Pulling her mask over her face she caught sight of the Tin Man and he quirked an eyebrow at her. She accidentally bumped into Raw's back when she realized he could tell what she had done. _No one_ could tell when she was pretending, not when she put her mind to it. Ok, except for her viewer, but that didn't count. She averted her face but not before she saw a flash of sympathy in his eyes.

She didn't have time to dwell on the fact as her father and Ambrose appeared at the top of the staircase. "There are my girls!" Ahamo was beaming at them as he hurried down toward them. Ambrose seemed to be holding back for propriety sake but his eyes were glued to her sister's glowing face. The consort made it to her mother and wrapped his arms around her before leaning back and kissing her cheek charmingly. Tugging Az into a one armed hug he ruffled her hair, which got him a smack on the arm. "The messenger arrived an hour ago telling us you would be back early."

She stood there feeling out of place until he moved to her and held out his arms to her. Fighting a number of emotions over the whole thing, and acutely aware of their audience, she reluctantly allowed him to hug her. Standing stiffly in the embrace he whispered in her ear. "I missed you, Spitfire."

If they had been alone and she hadn't been under the threat of banishment she would have slapped him across the face. If he had missed her so much he would have brought her back a long time ago, or never sent her away in the first place. Instead she stepped back with a small smile saying nothing. She saw hurt in her father's eyes but felt no sympathy. He had lost her trust a long time ago. After making sure he understood where they stood she indicated the man next to her. "This is Raw. He's a viewer from the coastal tribe I was staying near." She caught sight of Cain, damn, the bodyguard, out of the corner of her eye taking in the scene. He didn't appear all that pleased with the reception she had gotten.

Her father nodded his head respectfully. "It's always a pleasure to meet any friend of my daughters." She fought the urge to roll her eyes. As if she'd had so many friends while she had been here.

Raw bowed at the waist and spoke respectfully to the consort. "Honor is Raw's."

The consort turned his attention to her uncle as Ambrose reached the bottom of the stairs. She heard the duke speaking amicably as he introduced Wyatt, the guard…This was pointless, now she was thinking about him even more… and focused on the advisor. Tall and lanky, she would not have pegged him as her sister's type, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As the conversation continued on behind her the advisor lifted her sister's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Az blushed a lovely shade of pink and she fought down a snicker at the scene. The two of them were adorable.

Once he was done greeting her sister the advisor straightened and grinned at her. She felt her lips twitching up in an honest smile at his observation of her. She could feel no ill will toward her at all as his soft toffee eyes took her in. "Hello, Doll-" Oh, no. Not that nickname, she had forgotten about it while she had been gone. "-it's good to see you again." His eyes danced gleefully. "My experiments haven't been nearly as fun without you giggling over the results."

She laughed, remembering why she liked him when she was younger. "I'm sorry to hear my sister doesn't have my sense of humor."

His eyes sparkled. "She does well enough."

Az huffed at both of them. "I'm glad I don't disappoint you."

Leaning in slightly he caught her sister's eyes. "You have never disappointed me, Azka-D." Her sister flushed at the comment and she was forced to take drastic action to prevent such shows of sugary sweet affection in front of her.

"That's so sweet." Az turned to her and glared. "It's good to see, Lov-" Her sister jammed her elbow in her ribs before she could finish the nickname and she let out an 'oof' of pain.

Heads turned to them as she cradled her side. She was sure that was going to leave a bruise, her sister had boney elbows. Raw was letting out small sounds of hilarity while Ambrose watched them with amusement. "What was that?" Her sister asked with false innocence.

"Nothing." She wheezed.

"That's what I thought." She replied smugly.

At that moment her father interrupted them. "Why don't we get all of you settled and then you can tell me why you're back early." She saw the question in his eyes over the change in their schedule but he knew better than to ask questions when they weren't in a private setting.

Despite the break in their squabble she would not take the loss lying down. As they headed toward the family wing she positioned herself next to the advisor and murmured a teasing warning to him. "Careful, she could turn into an evil dictator at any moment. Did you see how she used violence to get her way?"

Ambrose coughed a laugh into his hand but her sister must have caught onto something. "Deeg!"

"Yes, Az?"

"What are you telling him?"

"I'm not telling him anything. I'm walking." She replied innocently. "Would you like me to tell him something?"

The heir apparent reached over and took hold of her arm pulling her next to her side, she guessed to keep a closer eye on her. "I do not trust you at all."

She feigned hurt. "Your own sister?" The advisor grinned.

"Don't even try it." She whispered.

Reaching a parlor in the family wing Ambrose waved and two guards opened the doors for them. Once they were inside she wove her way past a number of chairs toward a bookcase in the back. She would rather not be in the limelight while this discussion went on. To her dismay the Tin Man decided to stand next to her as the rest of their merry party settled down in the chairs. Her uncle cast a silencing spell over the room, which was good since she wasn't about to use any magic in front of her parents, before her uncle spoke.

The duke turned his head toward her before addressing either of her parents. "Do you feel anything here?"

Well done, uncle Liam. It was nice that he made them all look at her right off. "No more than usual." She answered levelly.

Her father was staring at her and she put her hands behind her back as she leaned against the bookshelf. The Mystic Man nodded in a satisfied way before pulling the tether from his coat pocket and setting it on the table in the center of the room. "This is why we came back early."

Ambrose leaned forward with interest, though he made no move to touch the object. "It's safe to touch." Her uncle reassured him.

"A sundial?" Her father asked. "What's so special about it?"

"It fell out of a demon." The Tin Man spoke without inflection.

The advisor and consort both stared at him. Ambrose picked up the metal object and started asking questions. "What type of demon? And where is it now?"

"It was a kaellor demon." Her uncle answered. "It was killed." The advisor's eyes flew to his fiancé then the queen. She felt more than saw Cain shifting his weight next to her as she remained silent and still in the background.

"Are you all alright?" Her father's voice was worried.

"We are." Her mother soothed. She was beyond annoyed with her mother. The queen hadn't even asked what had happened to her and she was assuring her husband that everything was fine? "Dorothy destroyed it."

"That's impressive." The advisor commented as he began to turn the sundial in his hand. "What did it look like? I've never seen one before."

She was spared having to answer by the duke. "Neither have I. The thing looked like a thick fog. It was more dangerous than that of course."

The advisor made a noise of agreement as Ahamo's eyes flicked between her and her uncle. "You were there, Liam?" She clenched her fists behind her back as anger ripped through her. He wouldn't have believed her if she had told him this herself, not that she would have told anyone if she had been alone.

"Yes." She couldn't tell if her uncle was startled by the question or not. "As were the viewer and Tin Man."

Her father nodded and moved to take a closer look at what Ambrose was holding. Az touched his arm lightly to get his attention. "Can you tell anything about it?"

The royal advisor's dark eyes had sharpened as he analyzed the object. "It's old. At least three hundred years, you can tell from the craftsmanship. Ozian in origin." He rotated the object once more. "I can't tell you more than that. Were there any spells on it? Demons may use specific magic but they can't cast incantations."

"I cast a tracking spell but didn't get anything specific."

"Was used to send." Raw spoke for the first time. "Demon was weapon."

"So someone was after you." Ambrose concluded. "That's hardly surprising with all of you in one place. However, one has to ask what they hoped to accomplish with four royals in residence. Surely whoever it was knew that their demon would be killed."

"I doubt whoever had it sent was interested in the things ultimate well being." Cain commented. "They were probably hoping it would take one of them out before they could retaliate."

"A good point." The Mystic Man said as he propped his head on his fist. "It certainly would have killed me, though I may have wounded it rather badly."

"It was that strong?" Ambrose sounded fascinated.

Her uncle nodded. "It took most of Dorothy's magic to destroy it, not to mention a few bullets." She frowned and for the first time all day voluntarily looked up into Wyatt's clear blue eyes. The Tin Man had been the only one with a gun. He had tried to stop it, to help her? He gazed back down at her briefly before turning his attention back to the conversation. Now she felt like a horrible person. The man had probably saved her life.

Ahamo stood up with a sigh of frustration. "I'll have the number of guards increased until we figure out who or what is after us."

She hated having to draw attention to herself, but really. "I don't think that will help."

"The guards know how to do their jobs, My Angel." Her mother commented. She heard the warning but wasn't going to be quiet about this. Her sister's safety was at stake.

"The guards can't sense magic, mother." This was an obvious flaw in her opinion. "They can't cast spells either. How do you propose they try to protect any of us?" Violet eyes locked on hers but she pushed on because she knew this was a pointless exercise. "I thought it was our duty to protect our people from such things." It had been years since she had challenged her mother so openly and the queen didn't take it well.

"Perhaps you should leave such concerns to us." Her mother's voice brooked no argument.

She'd had enough family time for one day. She shrugged as if the topic didn't concern her, though inside she was seething. Her mother was going to get her people killed for no reason at all. The only way she would be able to prevent any excessive damage was to keep her mouth shut in order to stay in the palace. The meeting broke up after that and she was shown to the rooms she would be staying in while she was here. They were the same rooms she had grown up in but the furniture had been updated since her departure. Where pinks and purples had once dominated her rooms they had been replaced with more muted blue tones. This actually made her happy. Maybe Az had done this for her.

Her things had been brought to her room and she had dismissed a maid that had been putting her clothes away in favor of doing it herself. It would keep her occupied and she was sure the worker had better things to do with her time. While she was folding a blouse there was a knock on her bedroom door. Thinking it was Raw she waved her hand and it sprang open behind her. She was curious to know what he thought of Ambrose. "Raw, did you-"

She caught sight of her father and shut her mouth. Turning back around she continued to unpack as she switched personalities. "Is there something you need?"

Ahamo sat on the edge of her bed with a small smile. "I wanted to talk to you. How was your trip?"

She turned around and crossed her arms. "You mean by punishment? It was peachy. Are we done?"

He sighed. "DG, this isn't how I wanted us to start."

"Start? I'm rather afraid we're finished." She returned to her unpacking.

"Spitfire-"

"Don't call me that." Her voice was flat.

"I had hoped you would try to see things from our perspective, DG."

She turned around with an ironic twist to her lips. "Your perspective? I'm very aware of what your perspective is. Mother was quite clear in what was expected of me while I'm here. I'm to behave and keep my magic to myself. Fine, I agreed to that, but don't assume that I agreed to be pleased to see you or mother. I'm not being showcased at the moment so I don't feel the need to act like your perfect little princess."

She was riling her father up nicely. "We hardly expected perfection."

"Then I far exceed those expectations didn't I?" Her voice was still emotionless. "If you want to talk to someone I would suggest Az. She at least still appears to enjoy your company."

"Don't blame us for your inability to control yourself!" His voice snapped at her.

"Ah, yes, my monumental mistake. How dare I." As if he knew what had happened.

"There is no talking to you!" He headed toward the door. "We can try this again later."

"No." Her answer made him turn with the door halfway open. "I came back for Az. I have no desire to speak with you or mother again."

Walking out he slammed the door. The resulting bang echoed around the otherwise silent room. The only thing she felt when he left was relief.

Author Note: I am being mean. I promise you will find out what happened but I'm afraid it's going to take awhile. Guess you'll all have to be patient. Sorry! Still, there is something to be said about dramatic tension isn't there?


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer:

He had been pleased to discover that a letter had been delivered to the palace for him. He hadn't heard from Jeb in several weeks and the mail had been forwarded from the manor to the palace while they had been in Finaqua. He had been waiting several hours to open the message and once the Mystic Man retired he had headed back to the parlor they had stopped in. It hadn't appeared to be well used and was in the farthest reaches of the family wing. He doubted he would be bothering anyone in there, especially at this time of night.

He found that to be a poor assumption. Opening the door to the dark room silently, he did everything silently; he heard a soft scratching sound coming from the corner. Shutting the door behind him with great care he loosened the holster on his gun, and staying in the deepest shadows he could, eased farther into the room. A few seconds later and he relaxed. Hidden behind a large chair in the window seat Deeg was sitting quietly as she sketched. Wasn't this a lucky coincidence?

Waiting until she moved the pencil away from the paper he asked her a question. "How can you do that in the dark?"

He expected her to jump or scream at his sudden appearance but of course she did neither. Thankfully he had learned to dodge unexpected projectiles a long time ago. A bolt of magic missed his head by an inch as the girl's head snapped up. "Careful!" He straightened back up impressed with her reaction time. As soon as she recognized him the feral light he associated with fighters disappeared from her eyes. "You could hurt a man that way."

"That was the point." She set the pencil down in favor of a thicker one. "You shouldn't sneak up on me."

"I can see that." He saw her eyes flick up to his face when she heard the admiration in his voice. "Mind if I sit for a spell?"

She searched his eyes for a long time as he waited for her answer. "Why?"

He intentionally misunderstood what she was asking. Smirking at her, he held up his mail. "I have a letter I'd like to read."

Rolling her eyes she raised her hand and flicked her fingers. A standing lamp near the chair sprang to life making a soft pool of light around them. He blinked several times to clear his vision of spots. "A little warning?"

"Sorry." She went back to her drawing without further comment. Considering his options he took hold of the chair and turned it around so it was facing both her and the door. He would hate to get snuck up on while they were getting to know one another. He had already made more progress with her than he had anticipated. Not only was he still in one piece after her attack, she had not asked him to leave, or even turned on a lamp in a different part of the room.

He saw her watching him out of the corner of her eye as he repositioned the furniture and sat down. When he open the envelope her eyes fell away as if she had thought he was going to spring on her at any moment. He would have to go slow with her and the letter was a perfect excuse to stay still near her. As he thought she would, Deeg gradually relaxed when he made no effort to bother her in any way. Letting himself focus on what his son had to say he felt his lips twitching. Only Jeb could go on for two and a half pages about the devious nature of fairies as if that were some sort of surprise as opposed to a well know fact. His boy could certainly get himself into some interesting predicaments. They had that in common.

After re-reading the letter he refolded it carefully and started putting it back in the envelope. As he was doing this he asked her a casual question praying she wouldn't take off. "What are you drawin', Kid?"

She didn't look at him but she did respond. "What are you reading?"

He suppressed a grin. She was a clever little thing. She had backed him into a corner with four words. If it was something he didn't feel like sharing she wouldn't have to answer his question and if it was he would be forced to talk about himself. If he shot anything other than that back at her she would have a perfect excuse to leave. Small steps. Trust took time. "A letter from my son."

She actually looked away from her drawing and at him. "You have a son?" Her eyes flicked to his hand as she searched for a ring he no longer wore. It was fast, but he saw it. That was interesting.

"Yes. He's on a grand adventure around the O.Z. He was nice enough to agree to write to me every two weeks so I know he's still breathin'." He huffed out a laugh. "Most recently he was tricked into a bog by a pair of pixies who wanted his bandana. If his mother were still around she would have laughed her head off."

He could tell she was fighting her curiosity back out of respect for his privacy. "Was it red?"

"What?" That was not the question he had been expecting from her but he had gotten her talking.

She clarified her question for him. "The bandana."

He shook his head. "I have no idea. Why?"

"Pixies like red things."

"How do you know that?" Now she had sparked his curiosity.

She replied without the slightest hint of deception. "One of them told me."

He raised an eyebrow. "A pixie talked to you?" That was something he would like to see. Those things were so destructive most people fled the moment they were spotted, if they could that is. "How did you make it out alive?"

A smile tugged at her lips. "They like magic almost as much. There was a tribe of them that lived not far from Raw's settlement. I was bombarded one day."

He chuckled. "Did the pixies make it?"

"Barely. I had to freeze them with a stasis spell. When I finally let them go we… had negotiations."

He was fairly certain that 'negotiations' was being used rather delicately. "Negotiations, huh?"

She grinned and he saw mischief dancing in her eyes. Congratulating himself on bringing the Deeg he had met in the garage back out he went back to his original query. Leaning forward he tapped her notebook with the envelope. "Oh." She frowned down at the paper. "It's not very good."

He fought back a laugh at her apparent displeasure over her artwork. "You _were_ drawing it in the dark. Can I see it?"

Shrugging she handed him her sketchpad. Holding it under the lamp he felt his eyebrow twitch up. Rendered in exquisite detail was the view of Central City from the window she was sitting in, at least some of it, the drawing was only about a quarter done. He heard her fidget as she edged closer to him. "I told you it's not very good."

"I'd like to know what your definition of a good sketch is." Lifting the page a little he made a request. "Can I look at the others?"

She stared at him as if no one had ever wanted to see them before. "If you'd like." She sounded slightly anxious. Without waiting for further consideration on her part he flipped the page over so he could see her next drawing. He took a moment to admire it. He could see why she hadn't been fond of the cityscape, no matter what he had initially thought of the quality, if this was what she was capable of producing.

The small finch she had captured on the page was so lifelike he thought it might fly off the paper. Every detail was there, from the gleam in its dark eye to the small veins that ran over its every feather. It was taking a bath in a small puddle on the side of a cobbled street. Its feathers were puffed out jauntily as water droplets flew in every direction. Intrigued he turned to the next page to find a landscape of the coast. It was equally as beautiful in its own way.

Her sketchpad was nearly full of her work and it took him a considerable amount of time to make it through all of her images. She must have spent hours on each of these. Reaching the last drawing of a young viewer that was no more than seven he closed the book carefully and handed it back to her. "Those are stunning."

She blushed faintly as she took her pad back. "Thank you." He was happy when she didn't scoot back to her original position but he got the distinct impression that she was embarrassed by his praise and trying to hide it.

"Who taught you to draw?" She must have had a very good teacher when she was growing up. He had seen professional artists with less talent than this woman had.

"Taught me?" She sounded confused.

"No one showed you how?"

She sighed as her thumb ran over the leather binding. "Who would show me how? I had other lessons I had to go to." There was a wistful gleam in her eye. "That would have been better than harp practice."

He winced in sympathy. "Harp practice? How fun."

She giggled. "Tell that to my music instructor. I think I made his ears bleed on a nearly daily basis."

He laughed at that image. "You couldn't have been that bad."

She wrinkled her nose. "Yes I could. I'm not what you would call musically inclined."

"I think your other talents make up for it."

Her smile faded as she studied him. Their banter had reached a point where she was uncomfortable again. "Why are you being nice to me?" He could tell all she wanted was an honest answer from him no matter what it was.

He didn't bother to play dumb with her. "You seem like an interesting person. I want to get to know you."

Her eyes were on his and he was pleased to find that she was equally as honest with him. "No one wants to just know me. Everyone already _knows_ me." She sounded much older than she was.

"I have a feeling the only one that knows you is that viewer."

She stared at him with her wide, blank, blue eyes before throwing him for a loop. "Did Raw tell you that?" His hand twitched and she huffed. "You're not the only one that can read people's tells. Raw's looked guilty about something all day."

"Fair enough."

She pulled her knees up to her chest and held her sketches between them like a shield. "Why did he tell you that?"

She was still talking? "I would have expected you to be angry."

"I can't change the fact that he told you now." There was something else in her eyes. He couldn't pinpoint it though. When he didn't answer, her fingers began to run over the sketchpad again. "Thank you for shooting the demon."

He made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat and she leaned backward slightly. So that was why she hadn't run him off. She was trying to be nice because he had helped her. "That's not how this is gonna work, Deeg."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"This isn't some sort of repayment plan. Don't insult me by treating me like I need to be given something in exchange for helping you. You can get that out of your head right now."

She flinched at his words. "I wasn't-"

She was lying. "You were."

Her eyes dropped guiltily to her hands. It was obvious that she had no idea how to handle him when she wasn't trying to hide anything. That habit was far too ingrained in her for his taste. "I'm sorry." Her whispered words were so sincere he had to stop himself from touching her in reassurance. "I just don't understand what you want from me."

"Everyone wants something from you don't they?" The Furball had been right on the money with this one. He figured somewhere in her mind she was trying to even things out between them after learning he had helped her more than she thought he had.

She shrugged one shoulder as she raised her head back up. Her mask was back on and she gave him an expectant stare. "Yes."

Moving quickly he reached out and cupped her face. "You're right. I do want something." He saw rage flash over her face at his sudden proximity and words. He continued before she used her magic on him. "I want you to stop doing that."

Her anger was replaced with uncertainty. "Doing what?"

He caressed her jaw line with his thumb as he stared into her eyes. He heard her breath hitch slightly but made no outward sign of it. "Slipping your camouflage on. I prefer you without it. Besides, I can tell when you're doing it so it'll save you the effort."

"How do you do that?" Her voice held more than a little frustration as her princess persona began to crack away.

Grinning at her acquiescence he let her face go with a last gentle caress and settled back into the chair. "It's my job."

"To bother me?" She asked sarcastically. He felt the tension that been hovering between them dissipate.

He chuckled at her annoyance. "To see what people are trying to hide. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep your uncle in one piece?"

"I can only imagine." She grumbled. "And why aren't you, you know, guarding him now?" There was no venom in her words although she was pouting rather prettily over at him.

"He went to bed like a normal person does at this hour so I came in here to read. What are you doing awake?"

She flopped back against the side of the window seat and glanced down at the city. "I'm not used to the noise anymore. It was keeping me awake."

Ahh. The sound of the city did take some getting used to. Even in the palace you could here the traffic and the occasional rowdy call. After so many years he stopped noticing it unless there was some kind of disturbance, or even more disconcerting, a silence. He watched her contemplating the city below, and feeling as if they were on slightly firmer ground, pushed forward. "You don't seem to be all that happy to be home."

"Gee, what gave me away?"

"It was either the excitement radiating off of you when you got out of the car or the way your father stormed out of your room."

She rubbed her eyes. "We don't…get along."

_Really?_ She could have told him something he didn't know. They more than didn't get along. He had been checking the layout of the area when Ahamo had left her rooms. He had melted back against the wall at the sound of the slamming door and watched silently as the consort had stalked out. He had been livid when he left. Certainly not the happy reunion he would have expected between a father and his daughter after so much time apart.

He thought he had pushed her far enough for one day so he let that go. "Fair enough."

Dropping her hand she gave him a small grateful smile and changed the subject. "Will you tell me about your son?"

"Jeb?" He flipped the envelope over in his hand before tucking it into his pocket. "What do you want to know?"

She shrugged again. "I guess that depends on what you want to tell me." He congratulated himself. He'd managed to keep her in one place for more than ten seconds. This had gone much better than he thought it would. After a moment of thought he started telling her about Jeb. She smiled the whole time.

Author Note: Bonding! So much for me to write!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I want Cain! (Wails piteously)

She glared at the cards in her hand in utter irritation. There was no way she had lost _again_. This was some sort of set up. Glowering up at the viewer she grumbled accusingly. "You're cheating!"

Warm brown eyes looked back at her serenely. "Raw not cheat." He tapped his finger on the cards he had laid on the table between them indicating his victory.

"I don't believe you at all!" She pulled her knees under her so she was sitting cross-legged in the chair. She heard the door open behind her but ignored it. She was too incensed to care who had walked into the study now. "There is no way you won six times in a row without using your gift!"

Raw grinned at her. "Not Raw's fault DG cannot win children's game."

"Oh, please!" She tossed her cards down over his. "This is the most horrible game you have ever taught me."

"What are you two playing?" The Tin Man sat down in the chair next to her as he surveyed the cards.

"The worst game ever."

He shot her an amused glance with those too blue eyes that sent her heart racing. She still wasn't all that sure what to make of this man. He had nearly scared her out of her wits a few days ago when he'd come into the study so late. Then, when she hadn't accidentally stunned him, he had managed to trick his way into sitting with her. After that he had somehow managed to get her to talk, something she had sworn to herself she wasn't going to do. To top the whole thing off he had succeeded in figuring out that she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. He had been able to work his way around that with barely any effort at all.

She was torn between annoyance over how well he had worked her out, fear over what he might do with the information, and a hesitant kind of delight that he apparently only wanted to be her friend. The experience was so novel that she had actually cornered Raw the next day and demanded an explanation as to what was going on. The viewer had simply patted her head and told her to relax. Relax! She had chewed him out for a good five minutes for that, though her heart wasn't really in it. When she was done snarling he had chuckled at her and gone to breakfast leaving her staring at his door.

Since then Cain had been anything but nerve wracking. He treated her nearly the same way her viewer did when they were alone. When anyone other than the three of them were around they both slipped back into the roles they were supposed to be in. She did it out of habit and a desperate need to keep herself as emotionally detached from her parents as possible. They were severely trying what little patience she had.

She figured the Tin Man did it to stay as invisible as possible. He couldn't do his job properly if he stuck out. She did notice how he watched her when there were other people around and his eyes often reflected his curiosity over her behavior but he had yet to ask her about anything more personal than her favorite food. That made her feel better than anything else had.

"It can't be that bad." He moved the cards she had thrown down so he could see what Raw had played to win. "Is this the first time you've played Ruko?"

She huffed. "Yes."

He hummed in the back of his throat. "You're trying to sequence them wrong."

"Huh?"

"You need to work your way out from the middle. You've been trying to get them from the biggest cards to the smallest. You won't win that way." He pointed to the viewers cards as he explained what she had been doing wrong.

She sat up straighter. "Oh." Then she glared at Raw. "Why didn't you _tell_ me that?" He simple gave her an evil grin. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Wyatt shook his head and picked up the cards. As he began to shuffle them he gave her a smile. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks." She was far more excited by the new set of cards he dealt her than the fact that it was her birthday. In another hour or so she was sure she would be abducted by Az and there would be no escape from the dreaded ball. She would be dressed up and thrown to the wolves. Her first court appearance in over four years was sure to be spectacularly disastrous. She began to arrange her cards in the way the Tin Man had explained.

"That was an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response." He tossed down a card in the discard pile that she snatched up.

"Because tonight is sure to be such fun." She considered her cards carefully and shooting Raw a skeptical glance threw down her own card. He quirked an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. "Have you ever been to one of these things?"

"Not recently."

Ok then. "Yeah, well, me either. I didn't miss court functions while I was away."

"I was under the impression this was a party for you."

She cast him a glance that clearly stated he was far too innocent to be here. "You think that."

He picked up a card from the deck and set it between two others he was already holding. "Who's it for then? You apparently want nothing to do with it so why are you going?"

"It's not exactly optional."

Raw rumbled. "DG go for sister."

She sighed in defeat. "It's important to Az. What was I supposed to say?"

"How about no?" Cain was shaking his head. "Do you do everything she asks you?"

She thought that was unfair. It's not like Az asked her for much. "Considering I haven't seen her in four years I thought it would be a nice gesture considering her announce-" She clamped her mouth shut hurriedly.

Both men looked over at her and she hid her face behind the cards. "Oops."

Raw tilted his head. "DG have secret?"

"No!" She tossed a card down. "Forget I said anything!" Her sister would kill her for sure if news of her engagement got out before their big announcement.

Raw let out a soft growl of surprise at her denial and the Tin Man's eyes narrowed with a roguish glint. Before she knew what was happening he had poked her in the ribs. She squeaked in surprise. "Liar." He commented with a chuckle at her reaction. "You'd best tell." He poked her again and she thrashed sideways in the chair.

"Az'll skin me!" She whacked him with her cards.

Raw waggled a finger at her. "Tin Man get you if no confess." Wyatt poked her again to emphasis the viewers point.

"Ok, ok!" She gasped out. She had started to giggle at the tickling sensation. "But you can't tell!"

Cain pulled his hand back as he smirked. Turning her head around toward the door to make sure no one was about to burst in on them, she threw a silencing spell up with a quick wave of her hand. "Az and Ambrose are announcing their engagement at the ball."

She thought the Tin Man's eyebrows were going to disappear into his hair. "She's marryin' the advisor?"

Her viewer was watching her carefully. "Why DG not tell Raw?"

"I didn't know until we got to Finaqua."

Suddenly Cain was frowning. "That they were engaged?"

"That she was even being courted."

"You're sister didn't tell you?" He sounded bothered by that, and for some reason that made her feel better about feeling left out.

"No." She shrugged feeling disheartened. "I guess she wanted to surprise me."

"By springin' a brother-in-law on you?"

"I don't know." She didn't know what her sister had been thinking. "Az was so happy… I think she wanted me to be happy for her."

That was as far as their talk got because at that moment the woman they were talking about practically skipped into the room. "Deeg!" She cringed at her sister's tone. She was eerily perky. This was not going to end well for her. "Time to get ready!"

She glanced longingly at her cards. She only needed one more to win. "But it's only six. We still have two hours before the party."

Her sister grinned and took hold of her arm. "That's barely enough time." The heir apparent began to drag her out of the chair and she made a sad sound as she laid her cards down on the table. "Come on! We have to do your hair!"

She sighed quietly and allowed herself to be dragged from the room. "Bye." She waved a hand over her shoulder as the two men watched her being led away by her overly excited sister.

Az didn't let her go until they arrived in her sister's rooms. She spotted her own dress lying over her sister's bed through the open door and beat back her annoyance. This was a big day for her sister. She needed to act like she was supposed to. She kept that thought firmly in her head as her sister and one of her maids began to make her up.

An hour and a half later and she had bathed, been tied into her dress, had her hair put up in an intricate style that fell in strategic ringlets around her face, and had her face dabbed with makeup. To top the whole thing off her sister, who was in a stunning emerald dress, had revealed the jewelry she was going to be wearing. A beautifully made silver choker encrusted with dark blue sapphires that set off her dress was placed around her neck without the slightest hesitation before a matching pair of drop earrings were put in her ears. To top it off her sister set a thin, intricately woven silver circlet over her hair.

Catching site of herself in the mirror made her wish, for the first time, that she had never come back here for her sister. The woman starring back at her was someone she had never in her life wanted to be. She was radiating her birthright without even trying. Turning away she let her mask fall in place while she mentally prepared herself for the marathon of court politics and protocol she was about to endure.

"You look beautiful, Deeg. Happy Birthday." Her sister wrapped her arms over her shoulders and gave her a peck on the cheek before she turned to put on her own jewelry.

After smiling at her sister over her shoulder she moved to the window and stared down at the city. As Az put on the finishing touches of her outfit she let her mind go blank. She had to focus to fall into that place that kept her calm, she wasn't used to doing this anymore.

A few minutes later and there was a knock on the door. Her sister stood up from her vanity and smoothed her dress out. "Come in."

"Are you ready, Azka-D?" The advisor opened the door and after one look at her sister broke into a soft smile as his eyes locked with hers. "You are radiant."

Her sister smiled at him. "Thank you. You look very handsome." She had to agree with her sister. The tall man was wearing a beautifully made brown suit. His green vest, which matched her sister's dress, had intricate embroidery peeking out from under the coat and he held himself in a way that clearly conveyed he was used to dealing with this kind of event. She would admit to a slight bit of jealousy over that.

Reaching out he tugged Az to him and gave her a peck on the cheek. Moving away from the window she was about to edge past them and out the door when he caught sight of her. He gave her a friendly smile. "You look as lovely as your sister, Doll."

Returning his smile she thanked him for the compliment and followed them from her sisters room without further conversation. They must have been the last one's to leave the family wing because the area was unnaturally silent. By the time they got within two hallways of the main hall she could hear that the ball had started without them. No doubt people had been arriving for nearly an hour.

Reaching the outer foyer at the top of the stairs she saw her parents waiting for their arrival before descending into the chaos that awaited them in the large room. Her parents greeted them all and her father even tried to wish her a pleasant happy birthday before they were announced. She nodded at him saying nothing, her face blank. Ahamo sighed as he and her mother exited the small room at the call. Az and Ambrose were called a few seconds later and she waited her turn with dread born of knowing what was going to happen.

Then she was announced and taking a deep breath she walked to the top of the stairs and was plunged into the noise of the ball. Holding her dress carefully she walked down the stairs, she rather thought she did her etiquette teacher proud as she kept the expected smile on her face, and didn't trip or stumble. When she reached the floor her father took her hand and led her toward a group of waiting courtiers. They bowed to her respectfully but she had already seen the false smiles and could practically feel the whispers going up around the room at her appearance. Fighting every instinct to run she began to chat with them demurely as her eyes scanned the room.

She felt Raw's gift before she saw him and felt her shoulders ease out of their stiff position. Eyes jumping to a far corner she spotted him standing against a wall as he watched her and the constantly moving crowd. He gave her a small wave and she pushed her gratitude at him, feeling much more secure about being there with him waiting to spring in at any moment.

There was already music playing and it wasn't long before the boldest of the young men asked her dance. With no option but to agree she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor and spin her around. Keeping herself in check she spoke to him without interest, finding him as dull and predictable as every other man she had ever been forced to dance with. As soon as the song was over she was accosted by another young man and the whole thing started over again.

An hour later and she had managed to sneak away for some water before Ambrose dragged her out on the floor. She actually managed to relax as he led her in a graceful waltz. "You're good at this." She said with a hint of shock.

He winked at her. "It's all about rhythm, Doll." She let out a short laugh and he gave her a jester grin. "Are you having fun?"

"Are you nervous?" She shot back with a knowing smirk.

"Not at all." He seemed very sure that he was happy.

She was about to teasingly threaten his life if he hurt her sister when a man with slightly wavy, blonde hair politely asked Ambrose if he could cut in. The advisor bowed over her hand and gave her away. The tall man extended his hand and she took it without much thought. When he grasped it and pulled her into the proper dance position she jerked in shock.

She felt dark magic lance into her arm as he began to twirl her slowly with the music. Meeting his pale blue eyes she clenched her teeth in rage. He grinned dangerously when he met her eyes and silently acknowledged the fact that he knew what she did. Holding her with the utmost respect was the source of magic that had been plaguing her from afar for over a month. How he had managed to get in without her knowing, how he managed to catch her so easily in a crowd, terrified her. As he twisted her closer he leered at her.

"Hello, my beauty." She hissed at him and he chuckled lowly. "You and I need to have a talk." He turned her and his voice dropped in a deadly warning while a calm smile played on his lips. "If you try to get away before it's over this is going to end rather badly for someone in this room."

Author Note: And you thought a ball would be boring! Would I do that to you?


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man.

"Who the hell are you?" Her fury had pushed her fear away with amazing efficiency.

"An interested subject. I _had_ to come see the long lost princess. It's been awhile since you've graced these halls with your presence." She wasn't fooled for a minute. This man was holding back his magic the same way she was. At any second, given the slightest provocation, they could easily tear the palace down around them.

"Cut the crap." His eyes sparked with cruel amusement as they danced around the floor. She saw people fading back from them and realized he was using some kind of compulsion spell on them. She doubted the partygoers even realized they had moved away from them.

"You are direct." He spun her out, and then back in, pressing her body against his. She repressed a shudder of revulsion at the contact as she pushed away from his chest. "I appreciate that. You've been killing off my pets, Princess. I'm growing rather tired of it, but I feel we can make some sort of arrangement."

"Your pets?" She had only killed one demon. What was he talking about?

"The kaellor was hardly the first thing you destroyed so utterly, by beauty." He tightened his hand around hers and she fought the urge to balk at his iron grip. Leaning down he snarled in her ear. "Do you have any idea how long I searched for a viewer like the one you so kindly put out of her misery?" She felt all the blood drain out of her face as he continued. "She was priceless! Then you had to stick that pert little nose of yours into my business!"

"You son of a bitch!" She tried to yank away but he held her in a firm grip.

"Now, now. We are hardly done." The music changed but he didn't let her go, instead he changed his steps so they were in time with the music. "I have decided to forgive you for that. I want to make you an offer." She sent a terrified thought to Raw and felt his gift respond with a zing.

She was now more afraid that this mage was going to kill someone than ever. Holding back her immediate urge to let her magic loose she decided to get as much information from him as she could. She needed to know what he was capable of. "What kind of offer?"

"What she gave you was meant for me." His voice, while still hinting at danger, had leveled out at her question. "If you agree to leave I promise I will send you anywhere you want. You will never have to worry about me again." He stared into her eyes. "I promise to make your every dream come true."

She felt her eyes spark in challenge. "What do you know about my dreams?"

"You think I don't know you're unhappy? I can see how well you fit in here. You're like a bird among fish." Spinning her she caught sight of Raw weaving his way through the crowd and braced herself for an end to their discussion. "Name your price."

"And if I refuse?"

His eyes oozed a sick kind of pleasure. "I will kill you and everything you love."

Gathering her magic she stopped them mid-step. "I think you have that backwards." There was no way she was going to be threatened by this man.

He laughed mockingly at her. "You could have made this so easy." Grabbing the back of her neck with amazing speed he dragged her face up to his and kissed her hard. Lifting her arms she blasted his chest with her light and he stumbled backward. There was an echoing crack as his own magic blocked most of her brutal attack; if he hadn't used it he would have been in several mangled pieces all over the dance floor. A hush settled over the ball as heads turned to see what had happened. He laughed at her as she backed away from him in utter disgust her hands flaring white.

His own hands began to flicker with dark power, but before he could do anything the Tin Man had his gun pressed hard into the back of his head. "You'd best rethink that."

His pale eyes flicked toward Wyatt then back to her. He leered at her. "Don't worry, Princess, I have all the time in the world for you."

With snap of sound he vanished like smoke on the wind, leaving a small metal sundial where he had stood moments before. The silence in the hall reached critical mass as she stood there staring at the small object and feeling soiled by what had transpired. Before she could begin to curse herself for letting the man get away the Tin Man had taken hold of her arm and started urging her toward the stairs. "Come on, Deeg." He whispered to her. "Move."

Shaking off the paralyses that had overtaken her she allowed herself to be hurried away by his warm hand. As he dragged her up the stairs she noticed his gun was still firmly in his other hand while his eyes darted in every direction. She heard voices begin to rise up behind them, some in panic and others in shock, as they turned the corner and vanished from sight.

As Cain started them toward the family wing she heard quick footsteps behind them and her magic sparked as the Tin Man raised his gun and pointed it down the hall. With a growl he lowered his gun as Raw tried to catch up with them. The moment she saw the viewer she braced herself as her magic fizzled out. Cain looked down at her with worried confusion and she started to shake despite the set to her spine.

The viewer was nervous. He was twitching as he pointed toward the next staircase. "Safe in rooms. We go." The Tin Man watched the viewer for a moment before nodding sharply and holstering his gun. Moving his hand to the small of her back he urged her further into the palace.

They made it to her room without speaking and her viewer closed the door to the hall as she threw up a silencing spell. She backed away from the Tin Man as soon as she felt his hand twitch. She had the sudden realization that she was acting like an idiot. He shouldn't have to make her feel better. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.

"Are you alright, Deeg?" Wyatt was studying her face as she tried to put some distance between them.

"I'm fine." She glanced down and suddenly wanted to get out of the dress she had been forced into. Between what that man had done and the things he had made her remember she didn't want to think about being a princess anymore tonight. "I just… I need to change."

Reaching out he caught her arm as she was turning to walk into her bedroom. "I have to go back and see what happened." He had fallen headlong into his Tin Man persona. "I need you to stay in here until I get back. Whoever that man was he was after you." She nodded jerkily and he let her go. Turning to Raw he pointed at the floor. "Stay with her, Furball, I'll be back as soon as I can."

Raw made a soft noise of understanding and Cain whirled around and exited, closing the door firmly behind him. As soon as she was sure he was gone she looked over at her friend. Raw froze when he felt the emotions begin to roll off of her. Gathering herself she whispered a warning to him. "You need to make sure Kalm is hidden."

There was a moment of silence and then Raw snarled as understanding passed between them. Without waiting for her to say anything else he rushed past the furniture as he headed toward someplace he could fall into meditation safely. As she went into her room and shut the door she was sure that Cain was going to have a fit when he came back and found her alone, but she didn't see any other option.

Stripping out of the dress she threw it into a corner, along with the shoes she had been wearing, so she wouldn't have to look at them as she began to grope at the choker around her neck. As she walked into her bathroom her emotions began to swing wildly. Where she had been mostly numb since that man had vanished she suddenly flew into a rage. Managing to work the clasp open she chucked the necklace at the wall with a shriek of frustration.

Breathing heavily she ripped the circlet off her head and let it clatter to the ground as she focused on calming down enough to get the earrings off without drawing blood. She was suddenly and totally furious that not only had the man somehow snuck up on her, he had also gotten away. She had lost her opportunity to stop him before anything else happened. She was completely incompetent.

Returning to her bedroom she ripped her dresser open with shaking hands and began to search for a pair of pants. Once she had found some she tugged them on, followed closely by a black blouse, which happened to be at the top of her clothing pile. Once she was dressed she took several deep breaths and tried to control her temper before opening her door.

Entering her sitting room she began to distract herself by lighting a fire. She had no doubt that she wouldn't be seeing Raw again until tomorrow. It took a great deal of his energy and focus to contact his pack leader and he would be exhausted by the time he was done. After three tries with a match she gave up and set the logs on fire with a blast of magic. The hearth blazed to life and she retreated across the room.

It took her all of two minutes before she began to pace back and forth between the window and the wall. Wasted. All the time she had spent listening to the magic hovering around the kingdom and what had she done? Wasted her chance. What was the matter with her? She had one thing she had to do. Just _one_, and she had messed it up.

There was a brief knock on her door before the Tin Man walked back in. His blue eyes scanned the room and then they flashed. "Where did the viewer go?"

Keeping her voice calm she ignored his question in favor of a better one. "Is everyone ok downstairs?"

He shook his head as his eyes turned to blue ice. "Two of the guards are dead."

She clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palm. "Damn it." Her voice came close to breaking as she started pacing again. She had known this could happen. The guards didn't have the ability to protect themselves from magic like that. Why hadn't she fought her mother more on this?

Suddenly her progress was halted as Cain caught her wrist. He turned her around and held her shoulders as he looked at her. "This wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was." She tried to push him off but he held her as firmly as the mage downstairs had, although she felt infinitely more secure in the Tin Man's presence. "I knew this would happen. I could have stopped them from dying."

"They knew what they were signin' up for when they joined." He shook her slightly to get her attention. "It's lucky you managed to make it out of that alive. Did he hurt you?"

"No." This time her voice did break and she looked down at her bare feet. Her shoulders hunched up as she replayed what had happened. The mage had known what she had done so long ago. He had been the one to do those horrible things, or at least had them ordered done for him. Then he had held her with his creepy dark magic oozing into her and kissed her. She felt sick to her stomach.

Wyatt growled low in his throat and she recoiled. Before she knew what was happening he was drawing her gently against his chest. She went stiff at the contact, unused to being touched so tenderly, as his arms wrapped around her back. Then one of his hands moved to the back of her head, stroking slowly through her hair, and she hid her face in his vest without thinking.

"I'm sorry, Kid." His voice rumbled through her body as he held her. Trembling, she nodded against his shoulder, breathing him in. Focusing on him instead of her reaction to the last few minutes of the ball she began to relax. The Tin Man stood silently soothing her for a long time as her tremors slowly eased off. "I should have been watching you better." He sounded angry with himself.

"That's not your job." She slowly untangled herself from him feeling embarrassed by her lack of control. "I'm sure its hard enough keeping track of one crazy Gale. You shouldn't try to throw me into the mix as well. I should have been paying closer attention. I know better than that."

"You can't pay attention to everything all the time. You were surrounded by people." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Even a professional can have problems spotting everything and you haven't been trained to do that."

"I'm a fully trained mage! I should have felt him coming a mile away with the amount of magic he was putting off!"

"There were three other fully trained mages in the room who didn't notice him either." He pointed out.

She shook her head in dismay. "It's not the same."

"How is it not the same?" He touched her cheek and she flinched away. She hadn't meant to say that. His blue eyes were probing her averted face. "What has you so scared, Sweetheart?" His voice had dropped off as he tried to coax the answer from her.

She shook her head firmly at the question. He would turn on her if she told him, and if he let her parents know what had really happened she didn't know what they would do. She would probably be lucky to be sent back to the coast. "It doesn't matter. I should have sensed him."

The Tin Man was quiet for a long time. "I can't help you if you won't trust me."

Her eyes closed as she fought with herself. She didn't want to drive him away, but he was right, she was terrified of letting him get closer. Years of keeping secrets, not all of them as dangerous as others, of being used and lied to, had her mind balking. Despite all that she realized that Raw trusted him, he had encouraged her to be friendly when the viewer tended to be as suspicious of other people as she was. Then she felt his fingers grazed her jaw and she opened her eyes. He was watching her with patient understanding as she struggled with herself.

Sucking in a breath she gave him a shaky nod. "That man…"

He prompted her when she sputtered out. "That man?"

"He knows why I can sense him." She licked her dry lips. "Cain… They'll send me away again if they find out. And not just for a few years this time." His eyes were glued to her face in confusion. "I can't protect my sister if they do that."

He was on the verge of asking her something when there was a knock on her door. She sprang away from him as if his fingers had suddenly burned her. Frustration was evident on his face as his arm dropped to his side and he took a few steps back toward the window. He had barely made it to an appropriate distance from her when her father walked in. "Spitfire, are you alright?"

She threw every defense she had back up as the consort's nearly panicked eyes found her. This really was the worst birthday she had ever had.

Author Note: You got some hints! Woo! Leave me one!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Sadly, Tin Man is not my property.

As he watched Deeg being dragged off by her sister he felt a twinge of pity for her. He certainly wouldn't want to be going to a ball after being made up by the heir apparent if he were her. Then again the girl had said she didn't want to go to the party at all. He had never seen anyone less interested in the fact that it was their birthday, and when he found out she was only going to her party so her sister could make an announcement, he felt as if she had been cheated out of something.

He had learned a few things about her in the last week. Once you managed to wiggle your way into her trust she was utterly charming. She was quick witted and sweet. She had listened to him while he talked and had an amazing way of keeping a conversation going if she was interested. Deeg was also one the most observant people he had ever met, not including himself. She could pick up on shifts in emotion nearly as well as her viewer could and responded to what was going on unconsciously.

The Kid was also extremely shy. He had no idea how she managed to keep that hidden with the way she reacted around her family and the few nobles that had shown up while they were here. If he hadn't been aware of her ability to hide herself he never would have known she was pretending to be so outgoing. He thought she probably put more effort into fighting back her flight response to people than she did into anything else. It had become apparent in one day that she did not want to be in Central City. She refused to leave the palace and avoided her family at almost any cost.

Most days he found her hidden away in some room with the viewer. She enjoyed reading as much as she did drawing, but he had never seen her sketchbook out when there was a chance one of her parents might walk in. She was also able to sit in silence for long periods of time without making it awkward. If he hadn't thought the rumors about her were false before they got here he was sure they were now. People like her didn't go out looking for trouble, not the drinking kind at any rate.

Setting down the cards he looked at the viewer. "She looked like she was being led to the gallows."

Raw huffed out a laugh. "Would rather be in gallows then at party."

"No kiddin'." He shook his head. "Some birthday."

Raw shrugged as he collected the cards. "DG know this would happen. Has accepted. Does not mean she likes."

"She doesn't fit in with the rest of the nobles I've met over the years."

"No." The viewer agreed. "When magic destroyed DG leave."

"What?" His voice was sharper than he had meant it to be. The last thing the girl needed was to disappear without protection. He tried to ignore the fact that it would bother him a great deal more than it should if he didn't know where she was.

"Not happy here." Raw seemed sad. "Wants home. Raw think she leave this place forever. Not come back."

"Wouldn't you be goin' with her?" The fact that the viewer seemed to think she would leave without him was even more troubling.

"Raw have family. DG knows this. Would not ask Raw to leave them with her."

"She could be killed if she's alone."

Raw nodded in agreement. "DG takes care of self. Has been taking care of self since seventeen. Forced. Does not know how to accept help."

He let out a frustrated breath as he stood from the table. "I'm starting to seriously question her parents regard for her welfare."

Raw was silent and he figured he wasn't going to get an answer out of him about what had happened between Deeg and the royal couple. Leaving the study and the contemplative viewer he spent the next few hours with the duke before leaving to change for the party. The walk down to the ball was uneventful and the guests were already hip deep as he slid into the hall. Keeping toward the outskirts of the crowd he spotted the viewer on the other side of the ballroom as he made himself aware of everything that was going on around him. He hated events like this. It was always chaotic, in bodyguard terms dangerous, and when you added possible magic attacks into the mix it was downright treacherous.

Keeping one eye on the Mystic Man's movements and one on the ever-shifting crowd as he stood in the background was not his idea of a good time. Forty minutes in and he started to feel a headache coming on. Three minutes after that and the royal couple was announced. He watched as they descended the stairs followed closely by their oldest daughter and her fiancé. Azkadilla looked giddily happy as she leaned into the advisor. He wondered how many people were going to be surprised at her announcement tonight with the way they were hanging on each other and their matching colors.

He shook his head over the two as Deeg was announced. When she came around the corner he actually felt his heart skip a beat. She was the most beautiful woman in the hall without question. He thought she looked every bit the princess she was as she glided down the grand staircase. As she came closer to the bottom though, he noted that a small fake smile was plastered over her face as her eyes flew over the hall. He tried not to clench his fists as her father began to lead her toward a group of nobles and her eyes died.

He had never seen anyone look as unhappy as she did in that moment and he spent nearly two decades arresting people. He caught her looking the other way and followed her line of sight. Deeg had managed to pick the viewer out of the crowd and he saw her noticeably relax even as a few stray whispers about her made their way to his ears. None of them were very complimentary. Keeping his temper under firm control he found the Mystic Man again and realized why she had been so reluctant to come here.

After that he mostly lost track of her as she was taken out to the dance floor by one man after another. Every now and then he would flick his gaze in her direction and see she was either bored out of her mind or fighting back her urge to leave, until the last time he looked up and saw her that is. The first thing that tipped him off was the strangely growing space between the other dancers and the man that was dancing with her. The second thing he noticed, the thing that made him start shoving past the guests was the look of pure rage on her face. Her mask had vanished and he knew something was very wrong.

He caught sight of the viewer pushing in from the other side of the crowd with an expression of flat out fear as the Kid stopped mid-spin. He saw the man say something to her with a sick smile before he grabbed her and pressed his lips against hers. Fury like he hadn't felt in years exploded in his chest as the princess hit the man with a spell that sent him reeling backwards.

He had his gun drawn and pressed against the back of the man's head before he even realized that magic was fanning off of him in dark waves. After his growled warning the man had locked eyes with Deeg and threatened her with pleasure before his magic engulfed him. Another sundial suddenly clattered to the ground next to his feet and he knew, more or less, what must have happened.

He had taken hold of her arm and started her up the stairs without once thinking about the safety of his actual charge. She had started shaking the moment she spotted the viewer and he felt confusion spark in him. Raw had been even more nervous than the girl as he insisted they get back to her rooms. He knew better than to question the protective instincts between pack members and took them there without question.

Once they were there and he was sure the rooms were safe he had asked her if she was all right. She had retreated and he knew whatever had happened had upset her more than she was going to admit to. He saw anger, disappointment, and disgust rolling behind her eyes as she insisted she simply needed to change out of her dress. Despite his instinctive reluctance to leave her he knew he needed to find out if anything had happened in the hall. When she had accepted this without question he felt another jab of rage. He doubted anyone had ever stayed with her when she was frightened. Ordering the viewer to remain with her he had rushed back to the ball so he could get back to her more quickly.

What he found was a number of panicked people and an incensed old man. "Is Dorothy injured?"

"Not that I could tell." Drawing the Mystic Man toward a wall he kept his eyes on the exiting crowd. The party was over for sure now. He saw the queen and consort trying to maintain order as the crowd dispersed, then heard a scream from a side entrance. His hand flew to his gun as a middle aged woman tripped back out into the hall pointing toward the door she had been trying to leave out of. Four guards had rushed toward the area with their weapons drawn. A moment later and one came back out looking grim. He heard the woman shrieking about the two dead guards and decided they needed to get out of there. "Time to go."

The duke shook his head and started toward his oldest niece. "There are three mages down here, Wyatt. We can take care of anything that happens with the guards and if I go missing too it will only cause more panic. Go back to Dorothy."

For once he didn't argue with the stubborn man. He had simply tilted his head in acknowledgement and vanished from the duke's side. When he got back to her room Deeg was pacing like a caged animal. She had changed into her preferred set of clothes and he knew she was trying to gain some sort of control over the situation. When he didn't see the Furball with her his temper rose up again. He was supposed to be watching her while he was gone!

She had immediately asked him about the safety of everyone else as if she never considered the fact that she should be worried about herself. He told her what had happened and fought the urge to curse as he saw guilt fly over her face. Catching her he had held her as still as possible so he could make sure that she hadn't been injured in a place he couldn't see. When her iron control finally snapped all he could do was try to comfort her.

She had gone stiff as he pulled her to him before hiding her face against his chest as she shivered. Her small hands had come up and bunched in his jacket, and he wasn't sure if he would ever stop being angry over what had happened to her. He could only imagine what she must be feeling and started running his fingers through her curly hair. She had burrowed closer to him and he felt guilty for not paying closer attention to her.

Then she had tried to convince herself she was fine and failed miserably. He blamed her still vulnerable state for her mistaken confession to him. Deeg was usually so in control of herself that he was amazed she had let slip that something was off about her magic. It was the first time she had even hinted about what had happened to separate her so completely from her family. At her wild eyed start he had started questioning her.

"How is it not the same?" When she shied away from him he had softly asked her why she was so frightened. He had a feeling he was very close to finding out about her past. All she needed was a small push. "What has you so scared, Sweetheart?"

She shook her head firmly at the question. He saw thoughts racing over her eyes as she avoided the answer. "It doesn't matter. I should have sensed him."

He was silent as he watched her. His need to comfort her was being thwarted by her habitual fear of her past. He realized they had hit a wall. If she couldn't get past this with him he didn't know what to do. He decided to go with the honesty route since she had responded to it so well before. "I can't help you if you won't trust me."

Deeg began to fight with herself. Raising his hand he brushed her skin as she struggled to break away from the secrecy she was so firmly wrapped in. When she opened her eyes he felt relief wash through him. While there was still fear in her eyes he could tell she was about to make a huge leap of faith for him.

Sucking in a breath she gave him a shaky nod. "That man…"

She stopped and he nudged her to get her started again. She had said that like she knew him. That wasn't good. "That man?"

"He knows why I can sense him." She licked her dry lips. "Cain… They'll send me away again if they find out. And not just for a few years this time." He couldn't look away from her. What would cause her parents to send her away for so long? What in Ozma's name could be so bad that she hadn't told them and still got sent away? She was all out terrified about whatever she had done, and he waited as she practically pleaded with him to keep this a secret. "I can't protect my sister if they do that."

He was on the verge of asking her to tell him when there was a knock on her door. She jumped away from him at the sound. Putting space between them to keep up appearances, he was beyond frustrated when her father walked in. "Spitfire, are you alright?"

Her mask went on before the man was all the way through the door and he could have hit the consort for coming in at such an inopportune moment. He had been seconds away from getting her story and now she had been chased back into herself. "Yes."

Ahamo moved toward her and she stepped away from him quickly, putting a couch between them. He stopped, bouncing back on the balls of his feet. "Did he hurt you?" He could see the anxiety in the other man but Deeg was acting like he might reach out and hurt her at any moment.

"No." The Kid wasn't giving him anything to work with and he was struggling.

"Did he say anything to you?"

She lied without blinking or hesitating. "No."

"He must have said something!" The consort was grasping at straws. He knew the other man needed answers to protect his family but he was sure going about it the wrong way.

"He didn't."

Ahamo's arms flew up and he saw her go stiff as the other man vented. "This is crazy! There would be no reason for him to sneak in here if he didn't have something to say! Liam said you could feel his magic! Why didn't you know he was here?"

"I don't know." There was a genuine note of confusion in her voice. "He was shielding his magic somehow."

"Are you lying to me?"

That stung her something awful. "Why would I let him hurt anyone?" Deeg blinked rapidly. "Why would I have let him touch me?"

Ahamo had good grace to look ashamed but he decided he'd had enough of this. Stepping between them he ignored every lesson he had ever learned about social standing and court protocol. "I think you'd best go."

The consort's eyes flashed. "Excuse me?"

He met Ahamo's stare with an icy one of his own. "Your girl's just been attacked and you're in here yelling at her as if she asked it to happen? You should be in here making sure she's feeling safe." His tone clearly indicated his disapproval of this man's fathering skills. "You saw her try to blast him. Leave her be."

The consort was practically vibrating with his displeasure. "Please leave." The Kid's voice was wavering something terrible. "I told you what I wanted when I got here. I told you what you wanted to know." He saw her eyes lock on her father's face resolutely. "I don't want you here."

Ahamo looked at her for a long time before jerking his head, his jaw tight. Without another word he turned and stalked out of her rooms, shutting the door behind him. When he turned back around she was staring at her hands as she gripped the back of the sofa. "You shouldn't have done that." Suddenly one of her hands darted up and swiped at her eyes. "You're going to get fired."

"First off, I work for the duke, not your father. The consort can't fire me." He walked over to her. "And second, I most certainly should have done that. You shouldn't be yelled at for something you had nothing to do with."

She shook her head. "He doesn't trust me. Old habits die hard, right?"

"Deeg-" The Kid finally looked up at him. "-You need to tell me what's going on."

Gulping she nodded. "It's a long story."

Catching her hand he pulled her around to the front of the couch. "We'd best be comfortable then." Sitting down she pressed into the side of the couch and drew her knees up. He waited as she began to sort out her thoughts.

Author Note: Ooooo. Looks like it's almost time to find out what happened! Are you excited? Can't you taste it? Make me write it faster! Leave a review!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Ok, I don't own Tin Man… I admit it. On a different note, has anyone seen a tall blonde cowboy? I mean, I think I lost one. If you see him please return him via review. Thanks!

She curled up as tightly as she could as she pressed back into the couch. She couldn't believe he had run her father off. No one had ever stood up for her like that before, not even Az, and her sister had gotten her out of trouble on more than one occasion. Bracing herself she looked down at her hands and started telling the Tin Man what had happened.

"When I was sixteen I started sneaking out of the palace when I didn't have lessons. I didn't like it here, not even then. I didn't have any friends and my sister was in intensive training for her position." She would admit it was pathetic but that's what happened.

"Where did you go?" His voice was softly curious.

She smiled slightly as she remembered the first few months of wondering around the city. "Sometimes the marketplace and the park. A few times I went into the library to see what books they had that the palace didn't. I even found a shop near the edge of town that sold art supplies."

"No one recognized you?"

Holding up one of her hands she let it flicker white. "I used a kind of magical smokescreen on myself. No one noticed me unless I talked to them."

"That's clever."

"Not as clever as I thought. The spell doesn't work on viewers."

"Is that how you met Raw?"

"No." Her voice faltered as she approached the beginning of that horrible day. Taking a deep breath she pushed forward. "I'd been disappearing into the city for over a year when a viewer named Lylo found me sketching one of the fountains near the boulevard. It was getting late and I was about to go home before I got caught missing again."

She remembered very clearly glancing up and having his nearly black eyes watching her. It was beyond startling to see someone aware of the fact that she was there. In over a year no one had ever done more than skip over her with their eyes. "He was afraid." That was an understatement. "When he knew I had seen him he came up to me and begged me for help."

"Why?" His voice was suddenly sharp and she looked up to find his eyes focused intently on her face.

"He told me his daughter and grandson had been taken by men with dark magic." She had been very concerned for him and for his family. "I told him we would go to the police but he told me they would be killed if they went to help. He was a seer and he was very sure." She had been taught since she was barely walking that it was her job, as a Gale, to take care of her people. She had taken those lessons to heart. She ran a hand through her hair. "When I asked him where they were he told me and I went to get them."

"You went alone?" He wasn't surprised, only confirming what she had said.

"Yes. Admittedly not my best idea." She shuddered all over. "But he was right. If anyone else had gone they would have been slaughtered before they even made it into the building Kara and Kalm had been taken to. I'd never seen magic like that before, only read about it."

She remembered the dark shield throwing her backward as she shattered it with light. It hadn't been the only spell around the place. It had taken her nearly twenty minutes to rip apart the curses that were protecting the building. "By the time I broke through the protective spells around the place I was dangerously close to the end of my magic." She had been terrified of going in, but hearing a scream had her making her choice for her. "Before I went in I sent him to go get a Tin Man. I wasn't sure if I was going to be coming back out and I wanted someone to know what happened if I didn't."

Wyatt shifted next to her as she gazed into the fire. What happened next still gave her nightmares. Her voice lost all hint of emotion as she told him what happened. "I broke down the door with my magic. There were five men in the warehouse. They were torturing her." Her stomach rolled sickly. "Her son was in a cage on the far side of the room screaming for her."

"I killed one man before they knew what happened. When the others saw me one of them hit me with some sort of stunning spell. I didn't think about it at the time because it hurt, but it wasn't his magic. It was like he had borrowed it from somewhere." She continued to stare at the flickering flames. "I didn't have enough magic left to fight back. They dragged me next to Kara which was the worst thing they could have done."

She stopped talking then, as she got lost in her memories. Then she felt his hand on her face again as he carefully tucked her hair behind her ear. "Deeg?"

Snapping back into the story she continued. "There's a reason Raw won't use his gift to help me get over a drain." She fought back the urge to throw up at the memory. "When a viewer does that two things happen. Either the mage or the viewer dies and the other tends to go crazy. There are strict rules on soul brushing; that's what it's called. The practice is so taboo most people don't even know what it is. Any mage or viewer caught doing it is likely to be killed or at the very least banished. They tend to be deeply unstable after it happens because viewers aren't made to use magic and humans aren't made to use empathetic gifts. So many people died because of the out of control gifts that it was easier to kill the one left alive. It made it safer for everyone." She closed her eyes briefly. "And it hurts."

"And she did that to you?"

"Yes." She lowered her head to her knees and took a calming breath. "She was terrified for her son and so badly injured I think she knew she wasn't going to live through the night anyway. I don't blame her for trying to save Kalm, she was a good mother."

"When it happened my magic rebounded so fast I couldn't control it. Two more of the men were dead before I could catch my breath. The other two got thrown across the room when the part of her that was transferred into me hit them." His hand was on her shoulder as she kept going. "I was terrified and disoriented. I suddenly had this second awareness and a bunch of memories that didn't belong to me. All I could think of was getting Kalm and running. Kara's instincts were the only things making me move."

"So you got him out?"

She nodded against her knees. "Yeah, he was so little, only about four. I broke the cage and carried him outside after I wiped the memories of the two men that were still alive and cleared the rest of the magic from the place. I had enough sense left to destroy it before anyone without magic came in. Then I ran to an alley nearby and collapsed." She remembered how closely the cub had clung to her as they sat silently in the dark. "Lylo found us right before dawn. He took Kalm from me and tried to help me home. When we got close I told him to leave. I was afraid of what my parents would do if they found out."

It would have been suicide to tell them what she had stumbled into. "I burned my bloody clothes after I snuck back in so no one would know what happened."

"So they don't know." He stated this as a fact not a question. "Why did they send you away then?"

Lifting her head back up she watched him as she spoke and grimanced. "Like I said, humans aren't meant to use empathetic gifts. It makes them go crazy. I couldn't sleep, I practically stopped eating, and my magic was so unstable I was using all the control I could to suppress it. It sent me into a nearly constant state of drain." She stared him in the eye. "You've seen what I get like when that happens."

"So your parents sent you away?"

"Not exactly." That wasn't the worst part of the after affects. "I think if had been just that they would have thought I was sick and let it go. Kara had a very strong gift of foresight. I started having feelings I couldn't explain to anyone unless I told them what happened. After two weeks of fighting it I lost control and ended up accidentally teleporting myself to a village I'd never even heard of called Milltown. Before I could get my bearings a wall of water was crashing toward me. I managed to stop it but the mayor recognized me."

"It didn't get better. That same thing must have happened at least eight more times. My parents thought I was doing it to get attention or stay in a state of drain like some sort of twisted junky." She looked back down at her hands and chaffed them together. "It was three months after it happened that they decided to send me to the coast. I had somehow ended up in Sin District Square when I was half-awake." She hesitated for a second before admitting how she felt about that. "I may not have been content here, but I was sick and exhausted. I was scared out of my wits over what was happening to me. I knew it was only a matter of time before what she did to me drove me out of my mind. I begged them not to send me away."

He moved again but she kept talking. "They sent me anyway." She felt the betrayal hit her again but didn't have the motivation to cry over it anymore. "In hindsight that may have saved me, though that doesn't make me feel much better about what happened. Three days after I got to the coast, Lylo showed up on my doorstep with Raw in tow. Talk about a lucky coincidence, them being so close."

"Why'd he bring Raw?"

"Raw's gift is as strong as his sisters was." The Tin Man made a startled noise. "You may have noticed that Raw's healing gift is a bit out of the ordinary."

"You said they wouldn't touch your magic."

"He didn't. At first all he did was knock me out so I could sleep. You have no idea how amazing that was after nearly four months without a break." She sighed in remembrance. "Once I had enough energy to at least stop my magic from getting away he started teaching me to control my new ability. After a few days he realized I had a lot of memories in my head that weren't mine and helped me siphon them off a little at a time."

"How long did that take?" He had started stroking her hair again.

"About a year. It couldn't have been easy for Raw to help me. To have to see things his sister did, what she gave me, what they did to her. He never blamed me though, despite the taboo on soul brushing. He only got angry once the whole time and that was when he saw her last few minutes." She gave him a weak smile. "I was amazed he came back the next day, but when he did he took me to his village for the first time. I'd never seen so many viewers at once and then Kalm tackled me from behind."

Wyatt's lip twitched. "They liked you."

"Yeah." She had liked staying with the viewers. "They were nice and Raw had insisted that I become a member of the pack because of what I did for Kara and Kalm. He became my pack brother."

"He adopted you?" She heard amusement in his voice and laid her head against the back of the couch as his hand tickled her scalp.

"Basically. I started to like it there after a while. There were no parties or courtiers and I got to do whatever I wanted for the first time. Other than the problem with my magic it was nice."

"How long until you learned to control it?"

"Another year and a half after Raw got the memories to stop."

He hummed in understanding. "So her gift is why you can feel the dark magic. You said that man knew about it."

She frowned. "He must have been the one that hired those men to get her. Somehow I managed to get there and out before he did. He wasn't very pleased when he told me he knew."

His eyes went distant. "He knows you're a threat. He'll try to get you again."

She shrugged. All that meant was that she hadn't missed her chance to kill him. She knew what he looked like now and she knew he could hide from her if he wanted. Knowing those things made her better equipped to stop him. Right now she felt she had a more immediate problem. "You're not going to tell anyone are you?"

His eyes refocused on hers and softened dramatically. "No, Sweetheart. I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Thank you." She whispered to him with gratitude.

His hand slid down to her waist and dragged her over to him. Surprised, she allowed him to tuck her against his chest and place his chin on top of her head. He sat still once she was against him and she slowly relaxed into his embrace. His hand moved up and ran over her back. "I'm sorry you had go through all that by yourself."

"It's not your fault." She shifted so she was more comfortable leaning against him and his arm moved around as she settled down. It was nice being this close to him. It was also slightly disconcerting. She had no idea how to react to his gentle touches and wasn't sure what they meant. He may have been flirting with her when they first met but he had made no indication of a continued interest in that since he had found out who she was. She should just be happy that she had a new friend and stop worrying about it.

They sat quietly while the fire slowly burned out, and as the room fell into deeper and deeper shadows his voice rumbled through her. "Are you going to be able to sleep?"

"I think so." Despite the insanity of the last few hours the Tin Man had certainly made her feel safer than she ever had been before. That, and he hadn't freaked out, or immediately dragged her to her mother once he found out what had happened. It was strange to have someone else share a secret with her. She was…relieved. She had never thought that would happen after telling anyone about her magical transgression.

"Alright." He shifted and gradually sat her up before standing. "Time for bed then. I don't doubt some damage control is going to have to be done tomorrow. You need to be awake enough to lie yourself out of it."

"Very funny." She responded sarcastically as he extended a hand to help her off the couch.

He pulled her up and straight into his personal space. For some reason this seemed far more intimate than being wrapped up in his arms on the couch. Off balance emotionally, she looked up at him and was about to step away when he caught her chin. She felt her heart beating hard in her chest as she stopped breathing. Leaning down slowly he pressed his lips lightly against hers. Her eyes fell closed and she felt a thrill of warmth straight to her core for a brief time before he pulled back. His finger caressed her jaw and a shiver ran down her spine. "Goodnight, Deeg."

Her brain had shut down and all she managed to get out was a whispered farewell. "Goodnight."

His lip twitched up and he left, shutting the door behind him quietly. It took her a long time to fall asleep despite his warnings.

Author Note: Is everyone happy? You all found out was going on right? You should all tell me how excited you are… (Prompting whisper in your ear) Hit the review button… It calls to you….


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: No one has returned my cowboy…you're all bad people, you know that?

He had to fight back his need to jump into interrogation mode when she had mentioned helping Lylo. He clearly remembered the older viewer finding him on the street that night. He had been edgy and afraid as he led him to the old warehouse on the edge of town. When she told him what had happened inside the multitude of questions that had plagued him during the investigation were finally put to rest. It no longer surprised him that he hadn't been able to find anything on the men or why they had been unable to respond to any of his questions.

He now also understood why the pack leader had been so accepting of the fact that he hadn't managed to give him any closure on the incident. Lylo had already found closure. The pack leader had also been presented with an interesting problem. Had the viewer told him what had happened he may have been able to get more information but he would have inevitably ended up outing Deeg. Lylo had been protecting the girl out of gratitude for saving his grandson. Good for him.

He hadn't been surprised when Deeg told him she'd gone after the men by herself. It was something she would do even if she were scared out of her mind, as she clearly had been. Hell, he was sure she would do it again knowing what was going to happen, it was who she was. He _had_ been surprised when she told him why. She had saved his life without even knowing it. The spells she had ripped apart would have killed him long before he could have done anything about it.

When she had finished her story he had pulled her against him as he tried to alleviate the hurt she was still feeling. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her to go through that, what it must have been like to beg for help only to get sent packing. It wasn't fair, but he supposed life wasn't. She had leaned against him and tried to reassure him, which he thought was as ridiculous as running at a demon, but Deeg had done that too.

After she had shifted a bit nervously in his arms she had settled back against him. Not wanting to startle her he had simply sat still as the fire died. He could feel her heartbeat slow as he gently rubbed her back. As they were watching the fire he realized she fit rather perfectly against him and had to fight back the urge to drag her into his lap and kiss her senseless. That would have sent her running for sure, especially after the way she had been touched in the hall.

Instead he had suggested they both go to bed. He had meant it too. Until he had helped her up that is. When she stared up at him with those big blue eyes his hard won self-control crumbled. He had caught her before she could escape, and bent to kiss her slowly so she could back away if she had wanted to. When her eyes closed he had pressed his lips gently against hers. It had taken everything he had to keep it gentle when he felt a spark of electricity at the contact. Deeg had swayed toward him and he pulled back before things could go any farther. Letting himself indulge in touching her face one more time he murmured a soft goodbye. "Goodnight, Deeg."

Her eyes were amazingly open as he hovered close to her. He had caught her by surprise but she wasn't at all upset as she whispered to him. "Goodnight."

He felt his lip twitching at the dazed sound and left her to sleep. Heading down the hall he saw the duke's lights on and knocked before walking in. The Mystic Man was staring out the window with a frown on his face. Walking over to him he leaned against the sill and looked out over the city with his employer. The duke turned his head and had a questioning expression on his face. "Should I ask why my brother-in-law wants your head on a platter?"

He growled low in his throat. "Only if you want an honest answer."

The old man's lips quirked up. He was well aware of how very honest he was capable of being. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

"He was upsetting the Kid." The duke made a prompting sound. "He was yelling at her about not being able to feel the mage. Then he accused her of lying about not sensing him. I told him to get out of her room."

The duke made a noise of disgust. "Ahamo has a tendency to push her the wrong way. I never did understand it. She never gave me a bit of trouble when she was young."

"She does have a fondness for you she fails to share with her parents." Not that he found it all that shocking after the story she had told him.

The Mystic Man glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. "My niece seems to have developed a certain fondness for you as well." He stayed silent and still aware that he might be in dangerous territory. He hadn't been hiding his movements over the last week and he wasn't surprised the duke had figured out where he had been spending the majority of his time. It was so unlike him to have an interest in a new person that the duke must have picked up on it rather easily. When he got no response the Mystic Man nodded. "That's as I thought."

"Not going to hex me?"

The duke chuckled. "Hardly. I don't think Dorothy would appreciate that. You're the only person other than the viewer I've ever seen her comfortable around. I wouldn't take that away from her."

He was relieved to hear that. He would have hated to get cursed by the duke. They had always had a good relationship, would have been a pity for it to be ruined. He glanced at the duke and nodded at his acceptance of the situation before changing the subject. "That man will go for her again."

"I'm well aware of that." He saw the old man turning over ideas in his mind. "I need to go back to the manor and do some research. Those sundials have to mean something."

"Maybe not. They could be his calling card." He hated getting into the mindset of criminals but he was good at it. "Some killers like to leave tokens."

"If he hadn't used one to control that demon I would agree with you, but he's putting spells on them. They have to have some kind of significance magically to hold an incantation."

"You want to leave?" He heard alarms going off as his instincts started shouting warnings at him. "That's a bad idea. You're safer here."

"I'm aware of that, but the books at my manor are more detailed than the ones here. I need them if we want answers and I don't think we have much time. If we leave tomorrow we can be back the next day."

He rubbed his face with his hand. "This is a gods awful idea. Why can't you call them to you? I've seen you do that before."

"Unfortunately the books are under a number of wards. The last thing I wanted was for them to be without protection. They have a great deal of powerful magic in them. In the wrong hands they could be used to hurt the rest of my family."

"Of course they're under wards." He was frustrated. He didn't want to take the duke out of the palace. He didn't want to leave Deeg alone. Meeting the duke's eyes he tried one more time. "That mage is stronger than you." The duke sighed at his blunt statement. "If he catches us alone I don't doubt he'll murder us both."

"If we don't get all the information we can he'll murder us anyway. He snuck up on all of us, including Dorothy, and she can somehow feel his magic. I understand what you're saying, but I don't have a choice. I need to keep the girls safe. I don't have the power to stop him, they do."

His eyes narrowed. "You're saying you're expendable."

"At this point, yes." He stared straight into his eyes. "When Dorothy hit him with that spell he dropped whatever shield he was using to stop the blast from killing him." He felt his eyebrow shoot up. The duke shook his head in worry. "She hit him with enough power to make a magician like me explode. My niece knew what she was doing. He should have died. He has more power then any dark mage I've ever encountered. It's going to take either Dorothy or Azkadilla to take him down, but they need to know what his weakness is. So, yes, I am expendable."

"Fine." His eyes returned to the city below them. "But this is going to be fast. We go, grab the books, and come back here."

"Agreed."

He left soon after that to get as much sleep as he could before they made this mad run to the manor. His last thought before he fell asleep was an intense gratitude toward Deeg for fixing the truck. He was going to test the speed of the thing as they raced to the manor the next day.

He woke an hour before dawn feeling anxious and ready to move. Knowing the duke would need more sleep in case he had to use his magic he packed his bag with swift efficiency and went into the study to wait for the first rays of the sun to show themselves. Twenty minutes after he got there Deeg stumbled in rubbing sleep from her eyes as she yawned. When she saw him she blushed slightly as she set the book she was holding down on a table. "What are you doing up so early?" Her voice was raspy with sleep.

He was relieved he got to explain this to her instead of up and disappearing. "I'm waiting another ten minutes before waking your uncle."

She picked up on how tense he was immediately. "Why?"

"We're going to the manor to pick up some books he needs."

"What?" Her voice had sharpened and she was fully awake. "No."

"He needs them to find out what's going on."

"You can't leave the palace!" Deeg was beside herself. "I can't protect either of you if you go and I can't leave my sister here alone!"

Walking up to her he squeezed her upper arms. "We'll be back before sunup tomorrow."

"He'll kill you!" She snapped.

"And he could very well kill you if you don't know how to stop him."

She glared at him. "I can stop him without the two of you doing something stupid."

He hated that he partially agreed with her. Knowing this was a bad idea made it harder to defend. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart."

She searched his face. "You think this is a bad idea too." Her accusation made him wince.

"It's better than no idea at all."

She threw her hands up in agitation knocking his arms away from her. "This is crazy! I can do this without any books. It's not worth the risk."

"It is if it keeps you alive!" He felt his own temper rising and dragged her to him, wanting to feel her against him. Holding her back with one hand he caught her face with the other and pressed his lips against hers. She whimpered in shock but didn't try to get away from him. When he felt her hands tentatively come up to rest on his chest he tilted her head back and deepened the kiss.

Deeg practically melted against him with a low moan and he groaned in response. His head was spinning from the feeling of having her so close to him and she tasted like heaven. Needing to breathe he leaned back and nipped her bottom lip deliberately. When her eyes opened he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back soon."

When he let her go she simply stood there looking at his vest. Damn it. She didn't think was coming back. Catching her face again he lowered his head until he was gazing straight into her eyes. "I promise."

She nodded and he thought she only half believed him. "Be careful."

"I will be." He kissed her forehead once more and stepped away from her. Grabbing his pack that had been sitting by the door, he glanced back and gave her a reassuring smile that she did her best to return. Leaving the room was harder than it should have been. He headed straight to the duke's suite. He wanted to leave as soon as possible so he could get back.

They were both in the truck fifteen minutes later. It took them seven long hours to get to the manor. He was tense the whole way and it had started to rain again. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen to them. The duke was as agitated as he was, which didn't make the trip all that pleasant for either of them.

Pulling into the small courtyard he parked the truck and got out, scanning the area with his eyes. The only thing he saw were the normal workers that lived here. They were all going about their business as they always did and he let his shoulders ease down when one of the boys that worked in the stables waved to him from under an archway. The Mystic Man got out when he indicated it was safe, and leaving their things in the pickup, they made a beeline for the study.

The duke shut the door behind them and then stepped up to a blank wall on the east side of the room. Placing his hand over the pale yellow wall he let his magic out. Moments later and a portion of the wall slid back and started rolling to the left. When it was out of the way he saw it had been hiding a worn wooden bookcase. Reaching into the alcove the duke opened the glass doors after his light flowed over it.

The Mystic Man considered the books in front of him before picking out four of them. All of them were cracked and worn with age. Closing the case the Mystic Man stepped back and they both watched as the wall closed back up. "That all you need?" He was eager to get back to the truck.

The Mystic Man grunted. "Yes."

"Let's go then." The duke nodded and they both turned back to the door. Before either of them could move it slammed open and four men ran in. His gun was almost out of his holster when he got clocked across the jaw. As he fell back against the magicked wall he decided he really hated being right. He also hated being outnumbered. There was a flash of light next to him and the duke tried to stop the men with his magic. It was a pity they had magic of their own.

Author Note: Fight! I love fight scenes so much! Leave me a review if you have the time! And so you all know it might take me more than a day to get the next chapter out. Sorry, school attacked me.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I am severely disappointed with all of you, especially you, Queen Isabella! Shame on you for not giving him to me! However, one nice reader managed to catch him and tie him up. I hope to receive him soon. Thanks, Jessa!

He hadn't even managed to stand back up when the blue magic the Mystic Man had hurled at their attackers was reflected back at them. Both of them were thrown hard to the ground. He shouted in pain as what felt like electric shocks tore through his body. He rolled over and kicked out at the nearest attacker catching him in the knee. The dark haired man let out a scream of pain as his leg snapped out at an unnatural angle.

He didn't have long to savor the perfect line up of his kick before he was dragged up and punched across the jaw a second time. Stars danced across his vision and he stared struggling like mad. Lashing out he caught the man that had hit him in the stomach and felt the hold on him loosen enough for him to twist his body and kick out at the third man that had been running over to help.

He missed by an inch as the third attacker jumped out of the way. As he tried to regain his balance the man that had punched him the second time tackled him from the side and they knocked over a table as they crashed to the floor. Twisting as hard as he could, he threw the man off him and lunged to his feet only to be brought up short by the scene in front of him. The duke was being held by their last attacker, who had a slim knife pressed against his throat.

"Move and he dies." He froze, panting heavily, as the other three men started to close in on him. The Mystic Man made a sound of rage and flashed only to convulse with a scream as his magic was forced back into him by his captor. The man tightened his grip shoving the dukes head up at an unnatural angle. "Won't work on me."

"Wyatt-" The duke spoke quickly as the knife was pressed harder against his neck. "-stop them!"

Torn between doing what had been so rightly suggested and a need to keep the old man alive he hesitated for the blink of an eye. He made up his mind and his hand flew to his holster as the three men jumped at him. Hurled to the ground by their combined weight he snarled as one of them took hold of his gun, yanked it from his side, and cocked the hammer back. Finding himself face-to-face with the barrel of his own weapon sent his temper off and he thrashed like mad. He saw the man squeezing the trigger and had a brief moment of clarity when a blast of white magic jettisoned through the room.

His gun and the man that was holding it were flung across the room with sickening force. The other two attackers fell back, and with his arm loose he hit one across the temple. Rolling to the side he heard the attacker holding the Mystic Man let out a bark of laughter. "Afraid you're too late, Princess."

He heard Deeg shriek as another wave of light crashed through the room. "No!" He saw the duke and the man holding him vanish in a cloud of black smoke as one of the remaining men got caught in the spell and hit the floor in a withering heap before going still. She was so focused on the sudden disappearance of her uncle that she didn't see the dark haired man pull out his own gun and aim it at her chest. Lunging across the ground he got his fingers around the butt of his gun, swung around, aimed, and fired. The man shuddered as he hit the floor and blood began to pool out around him. Deeg spun around, blue eyes narrowed, and let loose a bolt of light that hit the last attacker in the head as he was about to stab him in the back. There was a sickening crunch as the man fell back, his head crushed in on itself.

Staggering to his feet he held his gun tightly in his hand as he went to the Kid. She looked as if she had been dragged through a battlefield full tilt. Her green shirt was ripped jaggedly down her right side and she had a huge bruise forming over her cheek. One of her arms had a handkerchief wrapped around it above her elbow and she was swaying where she stood. Her face was so white he swore he could see her the veins underneath it.

She stepped forward and scooped up the fallen books before he could guide her from the bloody room. Once they were in the hall he asked her what he thought was a very good question. "Deeg, what are you doing here?" Not that he was ungrateful, but he was badly confused, and the duke had been taken.

She was gasping as she began to push off the wall with one hand as she headed toward the courtyard. "No time! Have to go now!"

"What?" He caught her around the waist and began to haul her down the hallway as her legs started to lock up on her.

"He knows you're here. He'll send more men. We have to go." She was fighting to help him move them along faster.

Feeling her urgency he quickened his pace, ignoring the pain he was feeling from the fight. "We have to get everyone out of here." He wasn't sure how to go about doing that and getting her the hell out of the manor without being caught.

"Done. Travel Storm." He was sure she was making her legs work through sheer will alone. "No more magic. We'll have to drive."

His body was on full alert as they got to the open courtyard. "Good thing you fixed the truck." When they finally made it to the old pickup he dragged them both to the drivers side and after ripping the door open he picked her up and tossed her inside the cab. She crawled over as he got in and started the ignition. They were out of the courtyard and back on the road in less than thirty seconds.

Deeg was slumped against the seat on her side as her small body shook. Reaching over while he speed down the road he succeeded in getting her body against the back of the bench so she wouldn't fall to the floor with the books. He caught sight of her torn shirt again, and looking away from the road momentarily, moved the fabric to the side. He saw a thin line of dried blood running from the middle of her ribcage to her hip. It looked as if someone had narrowly missed slashing through her with a dagger. "Deeg." He did his best to keep his voice calm as he questioned her.

She whimpered in response. "Are you bleedin' anywhere else?"

"Arm." She didn't move as she said it only lay there shaking. He cursed himself ten ways for being such a fool and moved his hand up toward the cloth that had been tied around her arm. As his fingers grazed her skin she twitched away. "If you take it off I'll only bleed worse. Drive."

"We need to stop and look at it."

"No." Her voice was fading quickly. "Can't go back to the city. Can't stay here. Need a place to hide."

"What happened?" He was starting to panic with her next to him and fading into unconsciousness. He had no idea what had happened to her or why they couldn't go back to Central City. All he knew was that she was hurt, drained, and alone. The Mystic Man had been kidnapped and he could only assume her ability to feel dark magic had brought her to them.

She didn't answer his worried question and he shook her. She groaned and he saw her eyes flutter open. "Deeg, you need to stay awake." He wasn't sure she would wake back up if she drifted off on him. He hadn't had a chance to look at her head and see if she had a concussion.

"Can't for long."

"Did you hit your head?" He shook her again so she would focus on him. "You can't sleep if you hurt your head."

"Only my cheek. Heads ok." Her voice was barely even a whisper. "Tired, Wyatt. Hurts."

He tensed up anxiously, and seeing a crossroads, made a sharp left, knowing where they could hole up. "It'll be ok, Sweetheart. I know where we can hide out for a bit."

"Good." She muttered right before she blacked out.

She didn't as much as twitch after that which made him even more antsy. Even after she had killed that demon she had been able to stay conscious. The Furball had been there to heal her as well. As he drove he continued to flick his eyes over her to make sure her breathing stayed regular and no blood was seeping out from under the handkerchief. The last sun sank under the horizon when he noticed wetness spreading down her arm. He muttered a curse as he turned off the main road. At least they were almost there.

Half an hour later and it was full dark as he pulled the truck up under a number of leafy trees. He might have to carry her a few extra yards through the downpour but the truck would be hidden from prying eyes. Getting out he moved to the other side and opened the passenger door, pulling her into his arms. She stayed limp and unaware as he walked across the small clearing toward the cabin he had inherited from his family a number of years ago.

Laying her down carefully on the porch he was searching for the old key he kept hidden under one of the floorboards when he heard a creak. Drawing his gun he spun around pointed it straight at a figure standing in the shadows. The other man had his own gun trained on him but relaxed when he was fully upright. "Dad?"

"Jeb?" He lowered his weapon as his eyes swept the area. "What are you doing here?"

His son stepped into a sliver of moonlight that made it past the rain with a cocked eyebrow. "I was sleeping." As he got closer his eyes fell on Deeg, who had mostly been hidden against the wall. "Gods! Is she alright?"

"No." He holstered his gun and bent over to pick her up again. "Open the door."

Jeb stepped back and held the door open for him so they could get in. Not bothering to take her far, he set her in front of the fireplace. "Can you start a fire? I need to patch her up."

Jeb nodded and started throwing logs in the hearth that was still glowing faintly. His son must have gotten here earlier in the day, if he hadn't been here for several. As Jeb worked he went into one of the two small bedrooms and dragged a small med kit out from under the bed. Returning to the main room he set the kit down and crouched next to her as he checked her pulse. Despite her injuries and the drain, her heart was beating a steady staccato against his fingertips.

"What happened?" Jeb had vanished briefly to return with a pan of water and a few clean rags.

"That's a good question." Untying the cloth from around her arm he growled. There was a four-inch slash across her pale skin; it wasn't shallow. She was going to need stitches. He glanced up at her face and hoped she would remain unconscious for it. Opening the kit his vision was suddenly greatly improved as Jeb set a battered lantern down beside him. "Thanks."

"Not a problem." Jeb was looking at her intently. "I guess it's pointless to ask how you've been seeing as you're covered in bruises."

His lip twitched up at the corner. "I missed you, son." He dipped one of the rags in the water and started clearing away the dried blood on her arm as well as the new blood that was oozing slowly out of her wound.

"Oh, yeah, Dad. Nothing says 'I missed you' like an unconscious bleeding woman." He snorted out a laugh at his sons assessment of the situation.

"Next time I'll bring you a conscious one then."

"Nice of you." Jeb sat down with his back against the hearth so he was out of the way. He picked up some alcohol out of the kit and poured it on the rag. Looking briefly at Deeg's face he pressed the soaked cloth against her skin to kill any infection that might try to take hold. She didn't move and he was fairly certain she was going to be out for the stitches, because having an open wound smeared in alcohol was not the most pleasant experience. "Who is she?"

"Her name's Deeg." Getting out a needle he disinfected it with the same bottle of alcohol before threading a thick thread through it.

"Right." Jeb seemed to think her name was as odd as he had. "And again I ask, what happened?"

"I'm assuming before she came and saved me that she was attacked by a psychotic dark mage that's holdin' a bit of a grudge."

There was a slight pause before Jeb responded. "You should probably start at the beginning with this one, Dad."

He grunted as he began to stitch her skin carefully back together. She didn't need to have a worse scar than necessary, and since she was out cold he figured he could take his time. "There's a mage out after her and her family. We were at the palace when he first attacked her but the duke wanted to get some books at the manor. He said they'd be able to help figure out what he was or what he was using to control the demon he sent after her."

"A demon?" Jeb's eyes flickered to her face again. "Wait a minute…Her family?" His boy was a sharp one.

He hummed as he started on the third of the stitches, she'd probably need three more. "At any rate, we got cornered in the manor by four of his men. They were about to kill us both when Deeg showed up and blasted them with her magic. She saved me but one of the men vanished with her uncle. I have no idea where he is or how she was hurt."

"_Her uncle?_ Ozma's left slipper, Dad!" Jeb leaned forward and pointed at her. "There is a _princess_ bleeding on our rug!"

"I was aware of that." One more stitch to go.

"How do you even get into these situations?" His son was flabbergasted.

He finished the last of the stitches and began to bandage her arm. "Another good question." Moving to her side he flipped up part of her torn shirt over her stomach so he could see the thin cut along her ribs. "How was your trip? You weren't supposed to back for another month."

Jeb rolled his eyes as he started cleaning her second cut. "It was fine until I hit North Country."

"What do you mean?" He glanced up at his son who shrugged.

"There were some bad spring blizzards. I couldn't make it far so I cut it out of my plans. I didn't think you'd mind me lazing about the cabin for a few days before I came home."

"No, you surprised me though."

His son grinned. "That's a first."

He finished cleaning her side and rubbed an ointment over the cut. It was already closed and he didn't think it needed a bandage. He gently turned her face toward him and looked closely at the bruise that was darkening on her cheek. He couldn't tell if she had been hit or slammed into something and decided he was going to kill that mage. Standing, he scooped her back up and carried her into the bedroom he stayed in whenever he came here.

Laying her down on the bed he covered her with a blanket and a quilt before going back out into the main room. He left the door open so he could hear her when she woke up. Jeb had his legs spread out in front of him as he lazed back against the stone hearth. "How bad is this guy?"

He ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "Judging by how she looks, pretty bad. His men kidnapped the Mystic Man."

"And worked you over by the looks of it." He sat on the old couch with a groan of agreement. "What are we going to do?"

He raised an eyebrow at his son's attitude. He would volunteer to help without any type of prompting. "Wait until she wakes up. I need to know what happened at the palace."

Author Note: Ok guys, looks like it is going to be a few days between chapters from now on. Think of it as more time to ponder what may happen. ;) Fun! I hope to hear from you.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: He got away! Darn it! One of you said you had him! Send him this way please, he must be lost.

She was so angry when he told her he was leaving. What her uncle had suggested reeked of danger. And when he had insisted that he was doing it to keep her safe she had nearly hit him. No one had ever bothered to keep _her_ safe before and she found the practice to be frustrating to the point of shouting. It was her job to take care of people, it wasn't supposed to work the other way around. Then he had grabbed her and pressed against her so closely that she thought she might die from how hard her heart was beating in her chest.

He wasn't anywhere near as gentle as he had been last night but that didn't make her anymore nervous than she had been before. Heat tore through her body and she had responded to him without thought. His lips felt so good against hers and his hands were holding her and cradling her all at once. In the back of her head she heard herself moan against his mouth and his low groan in response. She could have stayed like that forever but he pulled away after a long minute and bit her bottom lip. Her whole body quivered and he placed a very tender kiss on her forehead and promised to come back.

She thought he was probably lying. Then he had looked her dead in the eye and promised. She felt a little better, but only a little. Then he had smiled and disappeared out the door. After he left she had curled up in the window seat and stared blankly out at the city as the first sun rose. Raw found her an hour later. Her friend still looked tired from his efforts to reach his father as he sat down next to her and took hold of her hand.

She met his brown eyes and rested the side of her head against a pane of glass. "Kalm?"

"Safe." She nodded, not wanting to know where. If she knew and something happened she might let it slip. It was better to be in the dark sometimes. "Tin Man gone."

"Yeah." Her shoulders slumped. "It was stupid to think that he would stay."

Raw squeezed her hand. "Left to protect you. Will come back. Did not want to leave."

She gave him a weak smile. "They shouldn't have left the palace." Turning back to the city her smile fell as she squeezed his hand. "I'm worried."

The viewer said nothing and they sat silently together. Raw had a way of making her feel better no matter how bad it was, even when he wasn't using his gift. Eventually Raw broke the silence. "Sister comes." His eyes closed briefly. "Anxious for DG. For mate. For family."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door opened. "Deeg?" She waved and Az hurried over to them. "Baby Sister, I'm going to kill that man. Did he hurt you?"

She let go of Raw and shook her head. "Naw, I'm fine." Meeting her sister's eyes she spoke regretfully. "Sorry about your announcement." Az stared at her then bopped her on top of her head. "Hey!" She rubbed her head. "What was that for?"

"For being an idiot." Az placed her hands on her hips and glared. "That man attacked you and you're worried about my announcement? You're insane."

"Well, thanks, Sis." She grumbled in annoyance. "See if I worry about you anymore."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. You hardly need to worry about me." With that Az grabbed her arm and dragged her up. "Time for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Her stomach was in knots. She was worried about her uncle and Wyatt. Not to mention the fact that she didn't want to see her parents.

Az glanced over at her. "We are having breakfast together."

She grimaced and her sister stopped trying to make her follow. "Deeg? Don't you want to have breakfast with us?"

She was aware that 'us' included their parents and Ambrose. Frankly she really didn't want to share a meal with them. She was sick to death of dealing with her parents. Trying not to flinch she went honest on Az. "Not really."

The heir apparent frowned. "Why?"

"I can't handle Mom and Dad, alright?" Az looked shocked as she continued her voice steadily rising. She wasn't sure what had set her off, she refused to admit that it was the sudden loss of the Tin Man, but once she started she couldn't stop. "I'm tired and upset. If I go with you I'll loose my temper. I don't want to fight anymore! I just want to kill this damn mage so I can leave!"

Az let go of her arm and turned fully to face her. Her violet-flecked eyes sparked with uncertainty. "Leave?"

"Oh, come on, Az! When have I ever been happy here?"

"Deeg-" Her sister's voice was pleading. "You belong here."

"I never belonged here!" Saying it out loud brought her up short. The feeling of separation that had always plagued her, even before her magic went south, hit home. At her sister's hurt look she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I can't stay here. I love you to pieces, but you can't ask me to do that."

"If you hate it here so much why did you ask to come home?"

"Because you're my sister and you were in danger. I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"You came back because of the mage?" Az was shaking her head. "I thought you wanted to be with us again."

"Be with who? The people who sent me away?" She started shouting again. "I was alone, Az! I was seventeen and all alone! I was hurt and scared and when I asked for help they tossed me away like a piece of trash! They never told you how I cried and pleaded to stay with you did they?" Az's eyes were glimmering slightly. "Mother didn't tell you how hard I had to beg to come back either, did she?"

"No."

"So maybe you could be nice enough to leave me here today?"

"Alright, Baby Sister." Her sister raised a hand to touch her cheek but dropped her hand quickly when she turned her face from her. "I'll come back later, ok?"

She nodded and turned away. She heard the door shut with a snap as she stared blankly at the old chair Wyatt had been sitting in the night he found her here alone. "Sister very angry." Her eyes remained firmly on the chair. She hadn't meant to get in a fight with her sister. She hadn't wanted to make Az angry with her. "Not with DG." Her eyes flew up to Raw's face. "Princess angry at parents. Not going to stay quiet about this."

She sat back down on the widow seat with a groan. "That's super." All she needed was another reason for her parents to dislike her.

"DG worry too much."

She snorted. "Yeah, _that's_ my problem."

Raw shook his head and pushed her gently from her seat. "Come. We play cards."

Her lip twitched at the firm demand that they have fun and moved to the small table in the back of the room. The rest of the morning passed without much incident and she even managed to get one of the stewards to sneak them some breakfast so she wouldn't have to leave and face the wrath of her parents. It wasn't until mid-day that she began to get edgy. Five minutes later and she set her cards on the table and looked up at Raw.

The viewer was still and had his eyes closed. He felt it too. That wasn't good. Closing her eyes she extended her awareness and felt dark magic coalescing in one of the smaller halls across the palace. Standing up she knocked her chair over as she ran to the door. Raw was a step behind her as they sprinted out of the family wing. It took them far too long to get there and she immediately regretted not teleporting straight into the room when they flew through the door.

There were at least five dead guards scattered across the room and six men were slowly backing her sister and Ambrose into a corner as her parents were herded in a different direction. She snarled in rage and let her magic loose. Three of the attackers went down before the door slammed into the wall from their entrance. As they fell she felt herself yanked forward by a spell and she went crashing head-over-heels across the marble floor. She let out a shout as her face was slammed brutally into a pillar.

Scrambling up she twisted desperately as a man came at her with a dagger as long as her hand. She felt it scrape along the skin on her side as it sliced her shirt open. Raising her hand she hit him with a spell that sent him tumbling backward. "Spitfire!" Her father's shout echoed across the room as another flash exploded on the opposite side of the room. Her sister wasn't going down without a fight.

She saw two of Az's attackers fall as Ambrose lashed out with his legs. She hadn't known the advisor could fight but he was spinning and crouching like a trained professional. As she raised her hand to send another bolt of magic toward her parent's attackers she was thrown back across the floor. She skidded across the unforgiving surface, not stopping until she hit someone's leg. Glancing up she raised her hand and called to her magic only to have it reflected back at her chest by the blonde haired man that had so effectively caught her on the dance floor the night before. She screamed as her body was hit painfully with her own spell.

The next thing she knew she was being dragged up by her hair. "Right on time, my beauty." Hissing she struggled and he laughed as his arm wrapped around her waist and held her back to his chest. "Now, now, if you keep struggling you won't get to watch the fun."

Raising his free hand he pointed it at her sister and whispered in her ear. "Remember what I said about the things you love?"

"_No!_" Her shout rang across the room as he cast his spell. As it hurtled toward her sister Ambrose glanced up, and faster than she had ever seen anyone move, stepped in front of Az. The spell hit him hard enough to knock them both off their feet. Her sister was mostly under her fiancé when she realized what had happened.

"_Ambrose!_" Her sister lit up like a beacon. Struggling out from under the advisor's limp body her sister took in his badly bleeding chest and shrieked in fury as her magic began to lash out without direction. Two of the men still around them got hit with her sister's light and nearly disintegrated from the force of it.

Horrified by the sight of her sister loosing control as she knelt over her fiancés body she used the momentary distraction to slam her own spell into the mage holding her. The spell hit him hard enough to make him lose his grip and she spun around and hit him with a second bolt of pure energy.

He stepped back and she saw a dozen lines of blood form over his chest as her magic partially broke through his defenses. "Azkadilla!" She barely registered her mother's call as the entire building began to shake. She pushed aside the fact that her sister was most likely going to kill them all as her magic spiraled out of control and let her power lash out at the mage in front of her. He let his own magic loose in the same instant and they were both blown off their feet from the impact.

She found herself on the floor for the third time as she slid toward her sister. When she stopped she bounced to her feet shakily. Raw was suddenly right next to her and shouting a warning. "Sister lost in magic! DG must stop!"

"Damn it!" She was sure she couldn't stop her sister and the blonde all at once. "Get to Ambrose!" If the advisor was still alive, and Raw could heal him, her sister might be able to reign herself in. Looking to her left she saw her mother hit two men with her own spell as her father punched another man out.

Taking her surrounding in quickly she made a choice. They weren't going to stop this mage now. The situation had spiraled too far out of control. Pressing her lips into a grim line she sent out two waves of power simultaneously. One hit the backs of the last three attackers blocking her parents struggle toward them as the second sent the dark mage a few paces back.

Thankfully, her parents were next to her before he could recover. Taking a gasping breath as her magic began to wane she called a travel storm straight down over them. She had never once tried to do something so incredibly insane but they were out of options. The twister ripped through the roof and came down directly over her sister, Ambrose, and Raw. They vanished into the swirling vortex and she caught her mother's shoulder and shoved her back into the storm.

The queen let out a shout as she disappeared and suddenly she was facing her father as she felt a dark spell weaving around the snarling blonde fifteen feet in front of them. Her father's blue eyes were locked on hers as he saw her intention. "Spitfire, no!"

She hit him with a small spell and he tumbled backward into the storm. Letting the spell she had been holding go, the twister rose out of the building, taking her family and friends with it. The mage roared in rage. "You bitch!"

She turned to face him as the last of her magic pooled in her hands. "Oopsy. Did I mess that up for you?" She felt a victorious smile on her lips even as she accepted the fact that this was going to be her last few minutes alive.

"You think you won because you got them out?" His power was fanning off of him. "They were hardly the only one's for you to worry about were they?" She felt cold dread grip her and the man smiled. "Central City is mine, my beauty, and in a few minutes your dear uncle will be as well."

She lunged at him, taking him by surprise. They both hit the ground this time and she let her power slam into him as hard as she could. He screamed and slashed at her with his own spell. She felt her arm gashed open where he was gripping her and warm blood start to run down past her elbow as they separated. Without waiting for him to regain his footing she closed her eyes, and feeling her uncle in the distance, teleported herself as close to him as she could manage.

Her barely focused spell had her slamming onto the stone of the courtyard brutally. Staggering to her feet she caught sight of a teenager running toward her. "Miss? Where did you come from?" She could barely breath she was so tired. "You're bleeding!" The boy took a cloth out of his pocket, and before she could protest, had it wrapped firmly around her wound.

She grabbed his arm and held him tightly. "Where's the duke?"

The boy's hazel eyes widened at the fear in her voice. "Inside, Miss."

Her eyes darted around as she felt more magic gathering around the back of the manor. "How many people are here?"

"Just me and my ma today."

"Where is she?" Her voice was as commanding as she could make it. The boy pointed to the right and she saw a middle-aged woman hurrying toward them. That made things less complicated. As soon as the woman was in range she called a second travel storm and practically threw the boy into his mother's arms. They vanished in less than a second and she staggered into the manor as fast as she could.

She got to the study in time to see her uncle at knifes edge and the Tin Man at gunpoint. Unable to form anymore coherent thoughts she simply let the rest of her magic go. It was a good thing that Wyatt was on the ball because she was nearly shot before the skirmish was over. Then her uncle was gone and she was snatching up the books he had been so eager to get. They had better be freaking worth it.

She didn't have the energy to tell the Tin Man what had happened. She was tapped out. She hardly registered their flight from the manor or being thrown into the cab of the truck. She was barely aware of mumbling the answer to some question before she slipped into the darkness that had been dragging her under.

Author Note: Did I mention I loved writing fight scenes? I'm so pumped right now!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Tin Man isn't mine. It's a real shame. As is the fact that no one can catch the cowboy…

Her eyes fluttered open and she registered the sound of rain hitting the roof above her head. Struggling, she sat up quickly and hurled the blankets off of her. She had no idea where she was or where the Tin Man might be and her adrenaline kicked up a notch as she became fully alert. Her bare feet hit the floor quietly and she jumped to the wall next to the doorframe pressing her back against the wood as she peeked around the corner.

She heard a shuffling sound, and ignoring the effect of her drain, eased slowly out of the room as her hand pulsed with white light. There was a strange young man standing in front of a dining table and she narrowed her eyes. He sat a bowl down and turned around. She reacted instantly. Catching him with a spell she flung him hard against the closest wall and held him still as he shouted in shock.

"Who are you?" Her voice snapped over him. She was stressed beyond belief and if this boy was working for the mage she was going to have to at least erase his memory. "Where's Wyatt?"

"Kid!" Her head whipped around at the sound of the Tin Man's voice. "Put him down!"

She dropped her spell immediately at his command and the young man grunted as he rubbed his chest. The moment her magic fell her knees gave out from under her and she slumped to the floor, landing in a crumpled heap. Cain rushed in from the front door, dropping his pack and the books as he got to her. Staying still she just stared at him in a haze, her head feeling fuzzy. His arms wrapped around her waist and he picked her up easily before sitting her on the couch she had fallen next to.

"That was uncomfortable you know." The young blonde tugged his shirt out and huffed. "I was making you breakfast too."

Cain shook his head as she glanced between the two of them. "Be nice, Jeb. She didn't mean it." Her head titled to the side as she took Wyatt's son in more closely. The Tin Man watched her studying his boy with a slight smile as he reached over to the hearth and grabbed what looked to be a med kit.

"I'm sorry." Her throat hurt and she sounded raspy. "It's nice to, umm, meet you." She felt really bad about the magic thing now.

He didn't seem at all fazed by the incident. "Nice to meet you too. You seem much more entertaining conscious."

She shook her head and tried to focus. "How long was I out?"

The Tin Man began to carefully unwrap a bandage that had been secured around her arm. "About twelve hours." His blue eyes found hers. "What happened to you? Where's Raw?"

"I don't know." He frowned and she knew her slightly dazed voice was making him nervous, but she was still badly drained and was jumbling her thoughts together. "I think Ambrose might be dead."

"What?" His voice was sharp and she flinched when he accidentally brushed her cut. Looking down she saw that it had been stitched together and fought to recall when that had happened. She was trying so hard to remember that she lost track of the conversation. She really hated when she had blanks in her memory from using her magic. It made her incredibly uncomfortable. "Deeg!"

His voice brought her back somewhat and she glanced back up at him. "What?"

He dropped the clean bandage he had gotten out and took hold of her face so she was looking straight into his blue eyes. "Deeg, what happened to the advisor?"

"Oh, he stopped a spell from hitting Az." Her stomach knotted up at the thought of all the blood. She really hoped she was wrong about him being dead but she wasn't optimistic.

His blue eyes searched hers. "Where's the Furball?"

Her shoulders slumped miserably. "I called a travel storm." She was fighting to articulate what had happened as she battled the after affects of her magic use. "Ambrose was hurt and Az was going to kill us on accident. Raw was trying to heal him, but he may have already been dead. I couldn't stop all the magic." She heard the sorrow in her own voice his finger rub her cheek reassuringly. "I threw them all in the storm and let the spell go. I don't know where it went. I didn't have enough focus to send it anywhere specific. I think it went south."

"Were your parents with them?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you get in the twister?"

"He had too much magic. He could have stopped the storm if he wanted to. I stayed to distract him."

Wyatt growled and let her face go. He picked up the bandage again and began to wrap it around her arm. "How'd you get away?"

"I felt for uncle Liam and teleported after I-." She searched her memory but was only coming up with flashes of what had happened in the last few minutes she had been awake. She sat up straighter and searched the small cabin with her eyes. "Where's my uncle?"

"They took him, Darlin'."

A small sound left her throat and she nodded in understanding. She hadn't made it in time to save her uncle. The failure hit her like a punch to the stomach. The Mystic Man was likely already dead. Fighting back her grief she looked back at him and touched his bruised jaw with the fingertips of her free hand. "Are you ok?"

"I'm a sight better than you."

"Way to make her feel pretty, Dad." Jeb had eased down beside her and held out a glass of water for her to take. A small smile escaped her despite the situation she found herself in. "Don't listen to him. He looks much worse than you."

"Thank you." She sipped the water as her eyes zeroed in on his neck.

"You don't need to thank me for telling you the truth. It's not hard to look better than him." Cain rolled his eyes as he finished securing her arm and she let out a soft laugh.

"For the water." She clarified. He waved his hand absently and her lip twitched. "I like your bandana." Jeb's eyes darted down to see what she was talking about. "It's very red."

She was glad Wyatt had finished changing her bandage because he burst out laughing. Jeb turned suspicious eyes on his father as the Tin Man tried to get a hold of himself. "What?" He tugged on the edge of it. "Why is that so funny?"

Cain simply shook his head as she finished her water. Once he got himself under control again he tugged on the sleeve of her torn blouse. "Jeb was gentlemen enough to give up one of his shirts. I even made sure it was a clean one." His son made an indignant noise. "Do you want to go change?"

She regarded her top and wrinkled her nose. It wasn't just torn. It had some lovely bloodstains on it too. "That would be nice."

"Ok." Standing up he extended his hand and helped her stand. She wobbled for a second and he put his hands on her waist as she steadied herself. Once she was on her feet he pointed back toward the bedroom. "It's on top the dresser along with some soap and water. Call if you need anything."

With a nod she walked back into the room she had snuck out of less than fifteen minutes ago and shut the door behind her. As promised there was a dark blue men's shirt folded neatly on top the small wardrobe along with a pitcher, a matching bowl, a bar of soap, a towel, and a washcloth. Pulling off her own shirt she frowned as her side twinged. She made a noise of irritation when she remembered the knife swiping her and tossed her dirty shirt on the floor next to her. Pouring the water into the bowl she quickly cleaned herself off, taking special care to clean the cut that was running down her ribs. Once she was dry she shrugged the shirt on and buttoned it up.

She felt better and slightly more stable now that she was fully awake. It would still take her a few hours and some more sleep before she was back to her normal self, but with the amount of energy she had used, she was surprised at how well she was holding up. Bending down she picked her ruined shirt back up and folded it as best she could before placing it on the dresser. No need to leave a mess while she was here.

When she re-entered the main room she saw Jeb back over by the stove and Wyatt leaning against the wall as he stared out one of the front windows. "Did anyone follow us?" She sat back down on the couch as she asked.

"Not that I could see." His eyes landed on her. "You feelin' better?" She knew he was talking about the drain.

She looked back at him apologetically. "I won't be much use for another day. I used too much magic. I'm all fuzzy around the edges."

"Not your fault." He assured her. "You said we couldn't go back to the city before."

She didn't remember that, but it wasn't as if she couldn't have said it. Besides it was true. "The mage said Central City was his. I don't know if he had the whole city under control or just the palace. Either way we can't go back there. He knows what we look like and if I use magic he'll be able to spot me without trying."

"He doesn't know what I look like." Jeb had turned to face them with his arms crossed. He was gazing thoughtfully at the table.

"No." The word was spoken simultaneously by both of them.

Jeb cocked his head. "Now you're both being stubborn. I can get in and out without being noticed."

"Absolutely not." The Tin Man had gone rigged as he glared at his boy. "This mage is dangerous and so are his men."

Jeb set his jaw and she waited for this to get ugly. She had seen that glint in her own eyes in the mirror often enough. He had sunk his teeth in this idea and wasn't going to let it go. "I can appreciate that, but you don't have a lot of choices right now. You need information and can't go get it yourselves."

"Jeb." Wyatt's voice had dropped to a low growl of warning.

His son was unmoved. "And she just told you she'll be out of action for at least a day. That's plenty of time for me to sneak in and find out what happened. I'd be back before she was done resting."

"I won't risk you gettin' killed over this. We can wait."

"For what? Her uncle and your friend to be killed? For the rest of the royal family to be captured?" She saw the Tin Mans eyes flicker as he silently acknowledged the facts his son had laid out. "I know every way in and out of the city. No one knows who I am. I won't get caught unaware either. You told me everything you knew about this guy while she was asleep."

She protested not wanting to get Cain's son involved in this. It was bad enough the Tin Man was involved in this. "You shouldn't risk your life for my family. This is a bad idea."

Wyatt heaved a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, it's a good idea. He's right."

She gaped at him. He was insane. "You can't let him go!"

Cain nodded to Jeb who grinned smugly and vanished into the other room. "I taught him how to take care of himself. He'll be fine. And he's right; he knows the city inside and out. The only people that might recognize him are other Tin Men. They won't draw attention to him."

She shook her head but kept silent. It was dangerous, but she'd done equally idiotic things when she was his age. And to be fair she was doing even more idiotic things right now. Seconds later and Jeb came back out with a small brown pack over his shoulder and a waterproof jacket and hat on. "I'll be back tomorrow."

He breezed past her with wave before the Tin Man caught him. He hugged his son tightly then stepped back and tapped the side of his son's head gently with his knuckles. "What did I teach you?"

His son smirked. "My head should be used for thinking, not hitting things with."

"Good. Keep alert and listen. I don't want you back in pieces." He clapped him on the shoulder. "Got it?"

"You bet, Dad." He nodded in her direction. "When I get back we'll talk more, yah?"

She forced a fake smile on her face as worry gnawed at her. "I'd like that."

Then the young man was gone and they were left alone. Wyatt leaned back and stared out the window, watching as his son disappeared into the spring storm. He sighed under his breath before turning to her. "Don't look so worried. He's smarter than he acts."

"He's your son. How could he be anything but smart?"

His lip twitched up into a soft smile. "You're a sweet thing." She felt herself blushing and tried to fight it back. She wasn't sure what was the matter with her anymore. The Tin Man made her act like an idiot sometimes. His smile only increased at her apparent embarrassment. His eyes flicked over to the stove then back to her. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded and pushed herself off the couch. "What was Jeb making?"

He caught up to her and put his hand on the small of her back as if he was afraid she was going to keel over. She supposed that was a legitimate fear considering what he had seen her do. "Let's see."

When they got to the old wooden table that was sitting between the kitchen and the main room he grabbed her hips and set her on top of it. She let out a small squeak when she felt herself in the air then giggled when his fingers tickled up her ribs. She batted at his hands and he grinned as he kissed her unbruised cheek. "Not fair!"

He chuckled and turned toward the stove. "He made muglug." Humming under his breath he stirred the pot and shook his head. "Or maybe I should say he tried to."

Leaning to the side she tried to see inside the pot. It looked fine to her. "What's wrong with it?"

He shook his head as he started rummaging around in a cabinet. "I must have missed a few too many cooking lessons with him." He pulled out a few potatoes and a carrot before setting them on the counter. "That or he wasn't paying attention."

"It can't be that bad." She wasn't all that worried about a few missed ingredients. She had been surviving on her own cooking skills for the last several years, when she wasn't staying with Raw and the other viewers. There was no way Jeb could be worse than her. She hopped off the table so she could inspect the stew more closely. Raising an eyebrow she glanced over at him. "What's wrong with it?" It smelled delicious.

He stopped cutting the potatoes into extremely even cubes to look at her. His eyes went back to the muglug then to her face. After a second he started cutting again. "How do you make it?"

She rubbed the back of her thigh with her foot. "Ummm. I'm not all that great at cooking." His lip twitched and she huffed out a sigh. "No one ever showed me how. I sorta…throw stuff in and hope for the best."

"So you have the same mentality as Jeb. I'm amazed you haven't poisoned yourself." Stepping away from the roots he crooked his finger at her. "Get over here. I'll show you how to make this and then you can go back to bed for a while."

She sent him a hesitant smile. "Really?" No one had ever taught her to cook anything. For a moment she forgot that she was hurt, afraid, and dreadfully worried about her family and Raw.

He shook his head and caught her around the waist placing her between him and the counter. "Yes, really. You do know how to cut things don't you?"

She tilted her head up and him rolled her eyes. "Yes."

He smirked at her and pressed closer against her back. "Get to it then. Once you're done we can talk about seasoning." Smiling she turned her attention back to the counter and tried to imitate the cubes he had made. This was the best lesson she had ever had, even if it was terribly distracting having him tight against her the way he was.

Author Note: Don't make me ask… Just do it!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Tin Man isn't mine. Never was.

Considering the circumstances of their visit to his family's old cabin he was having a better time than he ought to have been. He was worried about Jeb, he couldn't stop worrying about his son even though he knew he was bright and careful when he needed to be, but the Kid was proving to be excellent company. She had taken in his cooking instructions with the utmost attention, and by the expression on her face when he told her a few simple things his mother had taught him, she had been on the wrong side of her own meals more than once. He had always been glad he was able to cook without much trouble. In fact, he enjoyed doing it most of the time, but now he was practically humming with contentment over being able to teach Deeg something she wanted to learn. She was so eager and bright. It was a pleasure showing her something new.

Deeg hadn't shown the slightest bit of nervousness with him holding her against his chest as they cooked either. In fact, she had leaned into him a few minutes into the process as she asked a couple of questions, and he had tightened his arm around her slender waist. He could tell she felt slightly inept over her inability to make a stew but he didn't think she had a reason to be. Without any sort of teacher he doubted many people would be able to put a meal together. It was something you had to be taught, at least the basic principles. He had thought he should have been annoyed with the Furball for neglecting to teach her, but in the end he was too pleased to have her close to really be as annoyed as he ought to have been.

Once they were done throwing things in the pot, he showed her how to monitor the temperature as he rested his chin on the crown of her head. She had made him laugh a few times when she told him of the disasters she had made in her own kitchen while she had been staying at the coast. After the muglug was done he had made sure she was fed and full before propelling her back to the bedroom. She had tried to protest, wanting to help him clean up, but he had simply shut the door as he backed out of the room, trapping her inside. He had heard her huffing at him and smiled as he went to take care of their mess.

Done with the cleaning he had retired to Jeb's room and laid down himself. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, due to his constant checks on her and the worry that they had been tracked, and figured he had time to catch up. He had no idea how long he had been sleeping before he heard her rustling quietly around in the main room. If he hadn't been such a light sleeper he doubted she would have bothered him, but since he was awake he got up.

The Kid was sitting on the couch with one of the old books in her lap and the other three next to her folded knee. One of her hands was holding her forehead up as she squinted down at the text. Deeg looked pained as she turned the page, then seconds later, turned it back. "I thought you liked to read."

Her head came up and she shot him a strained smile. "Reading yes. Translating, not so much."

"Translating?" He sat down next to her and leaned over so he could see what she was reading. He saw a number of odd symbols and raised an eyebrow. "Is that the ancients language?" Exactly how old were these books?

"Yeah, and Az was always a lot better at this than I was." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "This is going to take me forever and I don't know what I'm looking for. Did uncle Liam say what he wanted these for?"

"No. Sorry, Deeg." That would have been helpful of the old man but there was no use fretting over it now.

"That's ok." She went back to the book and placed her finger under the markings as she tried to work out what they said. He reached over and began massaging her neck to help her relax. She groaned softly pressing back into his fingers. Unable to let that pass he reached over and dragged her onto his lap without hesitation. She wasn't going to get very far if she didn't know what she was looking for anyway, at least that's what he told himself. He pressed a feather light kiss to her bruised cheek as the book she had been holding tumbled to the floor with a thump, bringing the others down with it. Her hands went to his shoulders to keep her balance and he hummed at the contact.

He wrapped one of his hands around her hips to keep her steady and ran the other up her uninjured side. He watched a pale blush spreading down her neck as she shivered from the contact. His lips found the place where her jaw met her ear and he pressed a kiss there before he breathed out a question, wanting to make sure this was acceptable. "Is this alright, Sweetheart?"

Her breath caught in her throat at the warm air against her neck and she nodded slightly. At her acknowledgement he moved his lips to her temple, and turning her head toward him, found her lips. He felt her shift slightly and bit back a moan at her wiggling.

Gently tipping her head back he took his time exploring her mouth. Tracing her bottom lip with his tongue, she moaned, and he slipped inside. He retreated quickly and pressed a kiss to the side of her mouth before finding her jaw. When he began to trail hot kisses down her neck she gripped his shoulders harder and the fabric of his shirt bunched in her hands. His arm pressed her closer against him and she whimpered helplessly. His breath gusted against her neck regretfully as he drew away from her.

He watched her quietly as he leaned back against the couch and she tried not to squirm from the intensity of his gaze. He noted her sudden nervousness and paused his attentions as he came to what should have been an obvious conclusion before sliding his hand back up under her hair and teasing the skin on her neck. She sighed as her eyes fluttered shut. When she finally opened them they were hazy but uncertain. "You've never done this before." It wasn't a question.

Her face flushed pink again and she dropped her eyes. She was now completely embarrassed by his observation. Before she could run from him he had his lips back on hers. When he was done he nuzzled his face against her dark hair as he reassured her. "I don't want to scare you is all."

"You don't scare me." He could tell she meant it and breathed her in as he fought a silent battle with himself. He hadn't wanted anyone this badly since Adora, but she was so inexperienced, and not just physically. He knew it had been hard for her to open up to him and this was asking a lot from her. He didn't want to do this wrong. Unexpectedly, Deeg made the choice for him as she moved her head forward and placed a soft kiss against his neck. He wasn't _that_ good a man despite what the viewer seemed to think.

He groaned and twisted them, laying her out on the couch beneath him. Propping himself up on his arm he looked down at her seriously. "You need to tell me if you want to stop." He hadn't done this in some time and didn't want to frighten her. Her big blue eyes search his face before she pushed up and kissed him hesitantly. It was the first time she had initiated a kiss and he followed her head down as she laid back.

Curving his arm around her body he tucked her more comfortably under him as he placed soft kisses over her face. He took his time with her and she slowly started to respond to him. Her hands glided down from his shoulders over his arms and he rumbled encouragingly as her touch became bolder. Tilting his head he found her neck again and began to kiss and tease her skin until she started panting. Her hands tangled in his short hair as he nipped at her collarbone. As soon as his teeth hit her skin he heard her moan softly.

Encouraged by her soft sounds of pleasure he slowly slid his hand under her shirt and rubbed his thumb over her stomach. Deeg whimpered and pressed her body against his as she tried to get him closer, if that were possible. She was going to kill him for sure. He pressed his nose into the crook of her neck and blew a soft breath over her skin, making her shiver all over and her hips jerk up.

He groaned out her name as he felt his lust bounce up and slid the palm of his hand up higher on her ribcage. She shifted under him and he pressed her hips down into the cushions with his so she couldn't move as much. She may have said she wasn't afraid of him but he knew how shy she was. He didn't want to hurry her into anything. Not when she'd put so much trust in him.

The Kid didn't know how far she had pushed him with her curious touches and soft mouth. Forcing himself to relax he started running his hand up in teasing circles along her skin. Deeg sucked in a sharp breath, arching into his hand. Trying to focus on what she should be feeling, he propped himself up a little higher and brushed the underside of her breast with his hand.

She sighed his name out quietly as her eyes fluttered closed. He returned his mouth to hers for a brief moment before he thrust his hips gently against hers. Her eyes opened as a shiver ran down her body. He saw a sudden flash of apprehension in her eyes at the same moment she froze and he stopped moving. Running one hand over her hair she kissed the soft spot in front of her ear. "Are you ok?"

She turned her head and gave him a small smile. "I'm a little nervous." Her voice didn't rise above a whisper at her confession.

Slowly rubbing his hand down her body he removed it from under the shirt and sat up, taking her with him. A moment later and she was straddling his lap as she stared down at his chest. Catching her chin he meet her eyes sincerely. "No need to rush into anything, Darlin'. We can take our time."

She opened her mouth before shutting it abruptly. The embarrassment in her eyes vanished and she went still, her eyes far away. "What did you say?"

He frowned slightly at the total change in her demeanor. He thought that had been pretty clear to be honest. "I said we don't need to rush."

Her eyes focused on his with startling intensity. "Not that." She twisted off of him and lunged for the books, leaving him clutching empty air and missing her warm presence pressed against his chest. Deeg was suddenly very distracted. "Time."

"Time?" But Deeg wasn't listening to him at all as she grabbed one of the books out from the bottom of the small pile and opened it. Her finger flew down a page in the front as she quickly translated whatever it said.

"That mage-" She flipped to the center of the book and began to rifle through the pages quickly. "He said he had all the time in the world."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and leaning down scooped her up before placing her back on the couch. She never let go of the book as she was hoisted through the air. He wasn't even sure she noticed she had left the wooden floorboards. His arm stayed around her waist as he tried to get her attention. "He was trying to scare you."

"He uses sundials." He could hear the excitement in her voice. "They keep track of time." Her big blue eyes were suddenly on his. "What if it wasn't a threat? What if he was boasting?"

"About time?" He wasn't sure where she was trying to go with this.

"Or about his power." She was scanning a page she had stopped on with lightning speed.

"You lost me, Deeg."

She made no indication that she had heard him so he hauled her against his side as she searched for an answer to whatever question she had. He watched her finger moving down the page over her shoulder and waited quietly. Far be it for him to get in the way of her quest. Besides, he figured she probably knew more about magic than he did, seeing as she was a trained mage. She flipped the page quickly and was a third of the way down it when her finger jumped back up a line. She slowed down, reading the passage more carefully, before she cursed.

He'd never heard her curse before and thought this probably wasn't that good a sign. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure." She sounded nervous and bent forward to grab another one of the books. Deeg was in such a rush she would have toppled of the sofa if he hadn't had a firm grip on her. Tearing the new book open she began the same process she had with the first book.

After several minutes she had finished deciphering a passage and pointed to it as if he could read it too. She turned her head back so she could see him. "This isn't good."

He raised an eyebrow and waited. They had hit not good a while back. He was now pretty sure they had tumbled head long into pretty damn bad. The look in her eye told him he wasn't far off and he sighed internally wishing he could put her back on his lap without having to worry about anything. Maybe they could get back to that when she was done telling him what she had learned…

He figured he could at least dream.

Author Note: School…destroying…soul… It tingles…


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Nothing about Tin Man is mine. Except for a few new characters in some of my other fics. Ajax says hi!

He watched her closely and could see fear in her eyes. "You know what he's doin'?"

"Sundials tell time through the use of the suns, or more specifically the shadows the suns produce as they move around."

"Ok." He understood how a sundial worked, he just wasn't sure what this had to do with anything.

She shook her head and continued. "Both times he attacked us, you know really attacked us, with the demon and taking over the city, it was in the middle of the day." That was true enough. "At that time the shadow the sundial makes is practically non-existent because the suns are directly overhead." He nodded and she watched him for a moment as she considered what she was about to say.

"How much do you know about magic?"

He turned that over carefully as he reviewed what he had learned from his schooling as well as his time with the Mystic Man. "I know there are about ten varieties found in the Outer Zone. The most powerful form stems from the Gale line and women tend to show the trait much more often then men, no matter what type of magic it is. It can appear in families spontaneously though it does tend to be a trait of certain bloodlines." She was listening to him recite without interrupting although he saw her eyes glint once. He would ask her about that in a minute. "I also know that mages go into a state of shock when they expend too much energy, you call it drainin', but it affects the body the same way a bad wound would, at least for most people. Other than that I can recognize a few spells and what you told me about soul brushing."

Deeg nodded. "Most of what you said about inheriting it is true except that even when men do get magic it tends to be weaker than it would be if they were female. That's why uncle Liam said the demon could have killed him. Even though he's a direct descendent of the first Gale he's still a he. Why this mage has so much power is beyond me."

That explained why he had insisted he was expendable. "I didn't know that. Do you know why that is?"

"I have no idea. A lot of scholars have argued about it but they never came up with a reason. My uncle isn't the only man I've met with magic. My tutor when I was little was a man, but he didn't even have half as much power as uncle Liam. The most complex spell he could work was a simple transformation, though he was very good with basics."

He rubbed her arm absently as he thought about that, though she snapped him out of his pondering soon enough. "The thing about magic types is wrong by the way. Whoever told you that was badly mistaken."

"What do you mean?"

"Saying there are ten types of magic is like saying there are only ten ways people can look. Magic relates to several factors. Bloodlines, the strength of your magic, and your personality. Some people can be from the same family and have drastically different magics because of how they act. Raw told you magic is linked to a mages soul. Your soul affects your magic."

"You mean your light corresponds to your soul?" He was fascinated by what she was telling him. The duke had never once mentioned any of this.

"Yeah. Other than the fact that light tends to run in my family I'm drawn to certain spells much more than Az is. She tends to use defensive spells while I prefer flat out attacks. There have been lots of Gale women with varying gifts. A couple of the queens were actually what you would term an earth mage. They tend to be very patient and meticulous." She shrugged. "Like I said, it's a personality thing."

"So what does this have to do with sundials?"

She sighed. "He's using dark magic, which in itself isn't dangerous, but his personality has warped it." He raised an eyebrow. "It's an advantage for him. Dark and light are opposites; they tend to cancel each other out. Nothing about this is going to be about who can outsmart who. There won't be any finesse. If he has more energy than me he can overtake me without much of a problem."

"So in the end whoever has more power is going to kill the other?"

"Yes." She seemed resigned to this fact.

"And the sundials?"

She shook her head bleakly. "I was right about the boasting thing." She held the book up. "He was mocking my light. He was basically telling me that soon I would be out of time. In a few days there is going to be an eclipse. That's the one day where there will be more dark in the day than light. It'll tip the magic in his direction."

He thought there was a pretty easy solution to that. "Then we'll wait till after the eclipse to stop him."

"It's not that simple. His magic is going to nearly double at the height of the eclipse. He'll be able to sense my magic the way I can sense his, even without an added gift from a viewer. As soon as he can he'll come after either Az or me, and I'm betting it's going to be me. Not only am I alone magically, he's made this personal, and he knows I'm stronger than my sister. He'll take me out while he can."

He growled low in his throat because the Kid was right. He could only protect her from so much at once and if the mage brought backup, and he would if he were smart, he'd be dead before he could blink. They needed help. "We need to get to your sister and mother once Jeb gets back. The three of you together stand a better chance than us alone."

She pressed her lips together even as she nodded. He knew she wanted to keep her sister as far away from him as possible, but they didn't have much choice in the matter. "I think I can probably do that. My magic has mostly rebounded." She pushed her hair behind her ear uneasily. "I didn't think it would take me this long to recover. I've never used that much magic at once, at least not since I got it back under control."

He took in her jumpy behavior. He could see how much she hated being drained. With the things she had been through he had no doubt over why she liked to be in control so much. It must have been terrifying for a teenager, and after being one and raising one he knew how unstable they were anyway, to not be able to keep what little sense you had.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You did what you had to."

"If I'd done what I had to uncle Liam wouldn't have been taken." She had turned away from him as she said it. He could practically feel the guilt dripping off of her.

He immediately dragged her back onto his lap so her body was against his. He wanted her to know he was there with her. "You can't be expected to do everything." She still wasn't looking at him and he pulled her head up before laying his forehead against hers. As soon as he saw her eyes he knew she thought she _was_ expected to do everything. The Kid had been alone too long. "Deeg, you saved everyone at the palace and still managed to get to me."

She shook her head stubbornly. "I didn't save Ambrose or the guards. I didn't kill the mage. I lost Central City and my uncle."

"You don't know the advisor is dead." She shouldn't take so much on herself. None of this was her fault. "Your mother was the one who was supposed to keep the city safe and your sister should have helped you kill the mage." He pressed his lips against hers and she quivered. "And I'm the one that lost the duke. I'm so sorry, Sweetheart."

Lowering her head she pressed her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "This is so messed up."

He had to agree with her. "That's true."

She let out a muffled laugh into his skin and he tried to bend his face around so he could see her, but he wasn't able to with her tucked against him. "I'm so glad you agree with my assessment of the situation."

"Well when you're right, you're right."

She lifted her head back and smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you."

He started playing with the ends of her hair. "For what?"

"Making me feel better."

"I hate to tell you this, but it's not all that hard to make you feel better."

She tilted her head slightly as her lip twitched. "If you say so."

He rolled his eyes as he tangled his fingers farther into her hair. "Sweetheart, all it took to make you smile the other day was explaining a card game to you."

"I like to learn things."

He chuckled. "I noticed." Leaning in he nudged her neck with his nose. " I haven't had that much fun teaching anyone to cook before."

She squirmed from the feeling of his nose on her skin as she pushed at his shoulders. "Stop it! That tickles!" Lifting his head away from her he chuckled and wrapped his fingers around hers.

He sent her a teasing smirk as he raised her knuckles to his lips. "I apologize."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're really bad at lying you know that?"

A full-blown laugh erupted from him. While he continued to chuckle she made herself more comfortable on him. "You done there, Tin Man?"

Lifting her hand back to his mouth he continued his soft kisses. "Not even close." He felt her catch her breath and that pretty blush bloomed on her cheeks again. "You're lovely, Darlin'."

She ducked her head quickly. "Thank you."

He felt his grin spreading when she didn't try to fight off his complement as she usually did. Still holding her hand he tugged her closer and kissed her swiftly before pulling away. He hadn't felt this playful in ages and Deeg was so expressive. She really was driving him to distraction. She giggled as he started pressing swift kisses around her face.

He was intent on keeping the mood fun so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable again when he heard the door start to creak open. In less than a second he had thrown Deeg on the far side of the couch and drawn his gun as he spun toward the door. Jeb cocked an eyebrow at him as water dripped off the brim of his hat. His son's blue eyes flicked between him and the Kid as he processed what he had walked in on.

A whirlwind of emotions hit him as they stared at each other. He felt relief over the fact that his son was back, guilt over not telling Jeb what was going on, and uneasy over the embarrassment he was sure Deeg was feeling as she shifted behind him on the couch. Jeb broke the increasingly uncomfortable silence. "And here I thought my day was exciting."

It took a massive amount of effort to suppress the groan from leaving him as he holstered his gun. Of course Jeb would make a joke. He couldn't help it. It was hardwired in him. "What happened?" It might be best to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Jeb dropped his soaked pack next to the door and shed his hat and coat. "That mage has taken over the whole city but he's been damn clever about it." He resisted the urge to remark on his sons cursing and waited. Jeb sank into a chair with a tired sigh. "I would have been back sooner but one of your friends spotted me."

"Who was it?" He sat back down.

"Tanner." He grunted at the name. Tanner was a good Tin Man. He had been in the academy with him and had helped him out of a few scrapes. "The mage had gone straight for the guard's barracks and the station. Most of the men fought their way out but a few that survived the attack were captured."

Deeg stood up and weaved past the table as she entered the kitchen while his son spoke. He could tell she was listening closely as she rummaged quietly around the cupboards. He kept his attention on his son because he was sure he knew where this was going. "Please tell me you didn't go after them."

A wicked gleam entered his son's eyes. "You told me never to lie. Well, at least not to you."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose so he wouldn't start yelling. He was going to skin Tanner alive the next time he saw him. "And?" Admittedly his voice was strained. He heard soft footfalls and glanced up to see Deeg handing Jeb a glass of water in a mirror image of what had happened the day before.

His son took the glass with a nod of thanks and the Kid retreated a few feet to lean against the hearth. He could tell she was upset because her mask had gone back on for the first time since he had kissed her in her room. "Oh, we got them out." Jeb grinned viciously. "I don't think that mage's men like me all that much."

He shook his head as he propped his elbows on his knees. "How shocking."

Deeg spoke up quietly. "We should leave. If Jeb upset him that much he may try to track him down." She closed her eyes and tilted her head up as she took a slow, deep breath. Her body flickered faintly and his son was watching her in fascination. Her voice was somewhat hypnotic as she continued. He'd seen the duke act like this while he was in the middle of a spell. "His magic is hovering over the city like a cloud."

Before she could open her eyes he asked her a question. "Can you sense your sister?"

She continued to breath slow and evenly. "Not south." Her magic grew a bit brighter. "Not west." He waited as she searched, amazed by what she could do. "North." Her voice grew more focused as she began to zero in on their location. "They're at the Ice Palace. My mother is using her magic to keep a snowstorm hovering over the mountains." Deeg's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. "I can get us there."

He nodded sharply as he stood. Glancing over at Jeb he pointed toward the jacket. "Get dried off as best you can. This is going to be cold." Then he turned and motioned for the Kid to follow him into the bedroom. He thought he had an old jacket in there somewhere for emergencies and this certainly qualified as one. Opening the bottom drawer he spotted what he wanted in the corner and shook it out. Holding it open for her, she slipped her arms in, and he made sure the oversized garment was on her as he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "I'm sorry about that. That didn't go the way I wanted."

She turned her head and gave him a slight nod. "It's ok."

He shook his head and caught her face. "No, it's not. I'll talk to Jeb once we get settled. You deserve to be treated with respect. He needs to know that you're more than a passing fancy to me." She stared up at him and he knew she hadn't been all that sure about what she meant to him. He obviously needed to address that as well. But for now they didn't have time. "Ready?"

"Yeah. We shouldn't be outside for long. I'll take us down in the courtyard. It's near the back entrance."

"Alright." They were heading toward the porch as soon as he said it. Jeb had managed to shake out his coat and picked his pack up at the same time he did. He made sure the books were secure in the bottom as he opened the front door and checked the area before allowing the other two out. As he latched the door behind him Deeg glanced around and made a beeline for the old dock.

"Jeb?" Her voice floated to him as he trailed behind them.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever been in a travel storm?"

His son suddenly seemed excited. "Can't say that I have."

The Kid looked up at the sky, and as her hands began to glow, he spotted a vortex starting to form over them. "I would strongly suggest you keep your eyes closed unless you want to get sick." His son's eyebrows flew up and he snatched his hat off his head and held onto it tightly as the storm crashed over them. He really would have preferred the truck.

Author Note: Review? It's so easy. (Points to review button) You know you wanna.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Tin Man does not belong to me. Oh, and Ajax really liked that carrot.

She found that getting a travel storm down in the middle of a magically induced snowstorm was not the easiest thing she had ever done. It was a good thing she had told Jeb to keep his eyes closed because even with hers tightly shut, and being used to traveling this way, she was dizzy and stumbling out of the twister as the wind set them down in the snow.

Through the freezing blizzard she saw Jeb bent over and clutching his stomach as he groaned pitifully. "Never again, you hear me?"

The Tin Man had apparently decided to stand as still as possible as he got his bearings back. "I said that too."

She began to rub her arms for warmth as she waited for them to get over the spinning. The old coat Cain had given her was pretty thick, but it couldn't keep out the cold of North Country. She had never much like the cold and after four years on the warm coast she thought she'd rather deal with the evil mage than the storm. Standing still she watched as Wyatt regained his sense of direction and stepped over to his son. As he bent down to check on him something in her chest twinged. He was as attentive toward his son as he was to her. That sent her thoughts in another direction entirely.

What had he meant while he was putting his coat on her? She was afraid to think about it too deeply and called to them over the howling wind. "Is he alright to make it inside?" Maybe she should have torn out another ceiling to avoid the freezing flakes that were pelting her in the face. The Tin Man helped stand his son upright and nodded to her. "He'll make it."

"Says you." Jeb grumbled as she turned and headed toward the back door. The snow was falling so fast and thick that she was relying solely on her memory of the layout of the palace to get them there. She couldn't see more than a foot in front of her and she had to suppress the urge to sprint in so she wouldn't lose the Cain men in the whiteout. As they trudged through the knee-deep snow she sent a strong thought to Raw. His gift zinged with happiness at her call and she knew he would be to her as fast as he could.

Finally finding the entrance she rolled her eyes when she found it covered in a sheet of ice. Wyatt stopped behind her as she frowned and laid her bare palms flat over the ice. She shivered at the cold and sent a pulse of heat into the door. The ice cracked with a wet snap and she turned and shoved her body weight against the metal as she twisted the half frozen handle.

The hinges creaked but the door stayed firmly closed. Huffing in annoyance she back up and was about to tackle the door when Wyatt put a hand on her shoulder and steered her next to his son. As soon as she was out of the way he took a step forward and lashed out with his booted foot. There was a boom as the door flew inward and banged against the wall. As it bounced back he caught it with his hand and held it open as he ushered them both in. She felt her lip twitching at the courtesy after he blatantly smashed the door in.

She hurried into what she hoped was a well-heated palace with Jeb and the Tin Man close behind her. Once they were in Wyatt grabbed the side of the door, and fighting against the wind, shoved it shut. Shivering she let the happily present heat run over her. "That is so much better."

"Hey!" Jeb no longer looked sick as he perked up. "I did get to make it to the mountains!"

Cain sighed dramatically as she raised an eyebrow. "Good for you." He gripped his son's shoulder to get his attention. "Now watch your mouth while we're here. The rest of the royals aren't much like Deeg." She couldn't tell if he thought that was a good thing or not as Cain started giving his son fast instructions. "No talking unless you're spoken to and mind your manners. I'd rather not have to sneak you out to avoid you gettin' beheaded."

She thought that was rather unlikely but kept silent. She had quickly fallen into her default mode of blending into the background. She was embarrassed over what had happened and didn't think she needed to draw any more attention to herself. She was used to rumors flying around her about things she had never done and was suddenly confronted with a situation that had in fact happened. She'd never actually been caught doing anything like that, and certainly not by anyone's son.

It was weird enough reacting to Wyatt after he had kissed her so gently in her room but now she was so out of her realm of experience that she didn't know what she should be doing. Add the scene with Jeb and she was practically vibrating with tension. She could handle flattery or deception; she didn't know what to do with respect or affection, at least not from a human.

Before she could come to any sort of plan for this unexpected situation she heard Raw call to her. "DG!" Spinning around she saw her friend running toward them and sprinted toward him as profound relief coursed through her.

"Raw!" She threw her arms around his furry neck as she slammed into him. They tumbled backward to the marble floor as she hugged him tightly. "Are you ok? What happened? Is Ambrose alive? Is Az-"

"Raw can only answer if Raw can breath." The viewer managed to wheeze as she clung to him. Before she could choke him to death Wyatt had caught her arms and gently tugged her off her friend. The viewer sat up and patted the side of her head. He frowned at her as he saw the large bruise on her face. "Need to heal." He glanced up at the Tin Man and rumbled with worry. "Need to heal both."

Cain began to help her up as he answered the viewer. "Best tell her first. She's been worried."

The viewer nodded as he pushed himself to his feet. "Travel storm drop us in forest. Mother managed to control sister while Raw healed Ambrose. Alive but weak. Raw distracted by helping. When started feeling for DG could not find." His eyes reflected how afraid he had been. "Thought mage killed DG."

"She was out for about twenty hours."

The viewer nodded in understanding and continued. "Parents upset. Bring us to Ice Mountain for safety. Sister in rage. Should go to them now. But first Raw fix." As soon as he was done speaking his paw was on her face and she felt warmth turn to nearly uncomfortable heat as he made her bruise vanish. "DG fight hard."

She felt his gift flowing over her as he assessed the damage. After a moment he pointed to her coat. With a sigh she shrugged off the jacket and the Tin Man took it from her hands as she rolled up the sleeve of her borrowed shirt. The viewer turned her into the light and studied the stitches. "Will need to take out. Heal this in rooms." He hummed before lifting the bottom edge of her shirt. He healed the long slash on her side quickly then motioned to Wyatt. "Next."

Cain's lip twitched at his bossy tone but stepped forward so the viewer could place two fingers on his jaw. A few second later and Raw nodded in a satisfied way and the purple stain on the Tin Man's jaw was gone. "Wow." Jeb had leaned closer so he could watch the show. "That's impressive."

Wyatt shook his head and introduced his son. "Raw, this is my son, Jeb."

The viewer moved his head this way and that as Jeb held out his hand. After a few second he covered the young man's hands with both of his. He released him a moment later and hummed in approval. "Son is brave like father."

Jeb raised an eyebrow in an eerily familiar manner and she bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. "Thanks?" It was clear that he had no idea how to respond to that. Raw rumbled out a laugh as they started toward her mother's suite. Taking the large winding staircase allowed them to look down into the pillared hall below.

As Jeb gazed around she rolled the sleeve of her shirt back down and glanced over at Wyatt. "May I have the books back?" He nodded while keeping one eye on his son and slung the pack around. After a moment of digging he handed her two and once they were secure in her hands handed her the others in quick succession. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sweetheart." Both Jeb and Raw shot her a quick look at the endearment and she turned her attention to balancing the books in her arms. It was taking most of her concentration to stop herself from blushing or fidgeting at the attention.

Fortunately both of them were distracted when they entered the family wing. One of the guards stared at her for a moment before rushing off to find a steward. The other guard opened the door to the long hallway and they were greeted by the sounds of muffled screaming. They were twenty feet away from her mother's suite and she could recognize her sister's voice through a set of doors. She shot Raw an alarmed look as she hissed at him. "What's going on?"

"Sister angry. Been yelling for many hours."

"Hours?" Now she was worried. She'd never seen Az loose her temper before and she made a quick decision. She didn't want any of these men involved in this and she pointed farther down the hall. "Would you mind waiting in Raw's suite…Or mine? I'll see what's going on." Though she was pretty sure about what that was.

Cain frowned as her eyes darted back to the door. He did not want her to go in by herself. "Deeg-"

She sent him a weak smile. "It's ok." She began to edge toward the yelling. "I'll find you in a little while." The Tin Man looked as if he was about to protest but the viewer touched his arm and with a sigh he followed the other man toward another set of rooms.

Making it to the doors she pulled one open and stepped into the room to see her sister red in the face from screaming as she jabbed her father in the chest with her finger. "You did what?" Az screeched. "How in Ozma's name could you do that to her? Did you even ask her what was wrong?" Oh dear. She shut the door quietly behind her and moved farther into the room before her sister blew something up. "I should kill you both for this! She saved all of us and her viewer can't find her! She could be dead!"

Her sister seemed really serious about that death threat. She decided to try to go with a calming vibe. "Az?"

Her sister whipped around at the sound of her voice and simply stood still breathing raggedly. "Deeg?"

"Uhh, yeah."

Her sister teleported between the ten feet that separated them and scared her half to death when two arms were suddenly wrapped around her. "Baby sister." Az's voice was choked. "I thought you were dead."

She patted her sister's back as she suppressed a cry if pain. Az was squeezing her stitched arm really tightly. "I'm fine."

Az let her go and held her face as her eyes glimmered. "Where have you been?"

"I-" She saw her parents staring at her with a mix of anger, confusion, and relief. "I went to get uncle Liam."

"That was incredibly stupid." Her mother's voice was tense. "You could have been killed."

"Where is he?" Her father threw in.

She fought back the urge to hit something. Her guilt had returned with a vengeance. It didn't matter what the Tin Man had told her. She was responsible for her family the way he was responsible for his. "I don't know. The mage's men kidnapped him. I was tapped out. I couldn't cast a tracking spell."

"Tapped out?" She saw her sister working that out. "How did you get away from the men if you were tapped out?"

She gave her sister credit for such a good question. "Wyatt Cain got us out and then hid us."

"Liam's bodyguard?" Her father asked with an edge in his voice.

She bristled as she snapped at him. "Yes. He saved my life and then protected me for the last two days. You might try to remember that."

Ahamo sighed and nodded in acceptance. "Very well."

"What are the books, Deeg?" Az was on a roll that was for sure.

Taking a breath she quickly told them that they had hidden, met up with Jeb, and figured out what the mage was doing. She made sure to leave out the fact that she was stitched together, they had hidden in Cain's cabin, and everything that had transpired between them.

When she was done her mother turned toward a window and looked out at the snow as her father began to pace. The heir apparent, who hadn't moved more than a foot from her, began to shove her toward the doors. "Let's get you cleaned up and then mother and I can read over the books." As they got to the door her sister took them from her arms and set them on a table before guiding her into the hall.

Once the doors were shut behind them she took in her sister's pale skin and the dark circles under her eyes. "Az, are you ok?" She stopped them and pushed some hair behind her ear. "You look sick."

Az smiled tiredly at her. "I haven't slept in a while. I've been up with Ambrose." She opened her mouth to apologize for letting him get hurt but Az kept talking. "Raw saved him you know. So did you. You made that travel storm and got us out and I didn't help you at all." Her sister's voice was getting thicker by the second. "Baby Sister, I thought you were dead, or worse, and it was all my fault for loosing control like that." Tears started falling down her cheeks and she pulled her sister into a hug as a sob broke over her. "I'm so sorry!"

"You didn't do anything. I'm sure I would have lost control if I thought the man I loved was murdered right in front of me." Her sister cried harder and she patted her back as she scanned the area with her magic. She felt Ambrose a few doors down and began to back toward his rooms. "Come on, Az, let's get you back to him."

Her sister let her go and began to wipe her eyes as she grabbed her hand and opened the doors. She saw a light on in the bedroom and called out so they wouldn't startle the advisor. "Ambrose?"

She heard what she thought was a book snapping closed followed closely by a hopeful answer. "Doll?"

Tugging her sister into the bedroom she smiled when she saw the advisor propped up with pillows against the headboard. "That's me. I brought you a get well gift." Yanking on her sister's arm she propelled her to the bed.

Ambrose took one look at her sister's tear stained face and tried to push himself up. "Azka-D? What's wrong? Look your sister's back."

Happy that the advisor wanted to make her sister feel better despite the fact that he was bed ridden she pecked her sister on the cheek and made her sit on the side of the bed close to Ambrose. "She's tired." Swiping a stray tear away she shot Ambrose a covert glance. "I think she needs a nap. Maybe she could stay with you for a while?"

"Absolutely." The advisor gave her a grateful smile and caught Az's hand with one of his. "I'm glad you're safe, Doll."

"I'm glad you're alive." She saw their fingers twining together and backed toward the door. "I'll come back after she's rested." Ambrose nodded, his warm eyes following her as she left the suite.

She located Raw's rooms quickly and knocked briefly on the door before walking in. Jeb and Wyatt were next to the fireplace and their conversation cut off as she entered the room. Feeling uneasy, because she could tell she had been the one under discussion, she heard Raw moving around in the bedroom and nodded to the two men as she sank into the side of a loveseat.

"You ok, Kid?" The Tin Man was scanning her from head to foot.

"Yeah, everyone is a little on edge." Understatement.

His eyebrow quirked up as Raw walked into the room. She saw a small, and very sharp looking knife in his hand and suppressed a whimper of protest. Instead of fighting she simply rolled her sleeve back up and hoped this would be a quick stitch removal. "Raw be careful."

She smiled when he picked up on her distaste. "You always are. But I'd rather you just be quick." Raw's dark eyes sparked with amusement as Wyatt chuckled behind him. Reaching up the viewer held her arm still as he got to work. She stared up at the ceiling so she wouldn't have to watch. It was bad enough she could feel him pulling the thread out of her skin. Four stitches out and she decided she really needed to be more careful about getting hurt when Raw wasn't around.

Author Note: Ok we have an advisor that's still kickin'. What can I say? How could I kill Glitch? I like the dreads too much to do that.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: …Ok… Where is he? First you guys won't give him to me, and then he _mysteriously_ escapes? I don't trust any of you as far as I can throw you. I demand the Tin Man or there will be no more chapters. And so you know I have Ajax and Ian back here on my side. I have full confidence they can hold Fred down. Yeah that's right! Bring it!

As she gazed out her frost-covered window she rubbed her arm absently. Raw hadn't been wrong when he told her she'd have a scar. Even though he had used his gift on her the delay between when she'd been injured and seen to by her viewer had affected the healing process. She honestly didn't mind the mark, other than the fact that it reminded her of how she had lost her uncle. She had searched for him after she had gotten here and she had felt nothing but emptiness. Either the mage was cloaking him with the same spell he used to hide himself or her uncle was dead. Both scenarios made her sick with guilt and failure.

They had been here for nearly six hours and the suns had set awhile back. She wasn't even sure why she was looking out the window when all she could see was the occasional swirl of white on white in the darkness. She supposed she needed some time to get her jumbled thoughts together. After she had been patched up she had taken Jeb and Wyatt on a tour of the palace. She could tell that Jeb was eager to see it and she wanted to get out of the family wing for as long as possible.

The excursion had gone well enough and they had lost Wyatt's son to weapons hall for nearly forty-five minutes. While they waited in a corner for him to stop bounding around Raw had asked for the details of what had happened after she had thrown them all in the storm. Then Wyatt had asked for the full story from the beginning. She had shrugged and told them as best she could recall, though some details had muddled together in the excitement.

They had parted a few hours later in order to clean up and sleep. After the novelty of the palace had run out Jeb had started to get noticeably less interested in life as he fought off his tiredness. She figured he hadn't really slept since he had left the cabin and had a steward take him to his own rooms. Wyatt had followed his son as concern sparked in his eyes and she thought he was probably making sure he was all right. Raw had left for his own bed and she had sought out a hot bath.

Now clean and in a simple blue dress that belonged to her, she simply stood there. Her mind had gone blank after fifteen minutes of trying to find a way around the fact that in another few days the mage would be out for her sister. She had only come up with one plan that would keep Az out of it and she knew it wasn't a good one. Still, she had decided to consider it in the morning after she slept. Maybe she would find another alternative once she was fully functional.

"Deeg?" She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the Tin Man's voice right behind her. He caught her arms with his warm hands and squeezed them gently before she could hit him with a spell. "It's only me."

"Could you not do that?" She was already jumpy. She really didn't need him to make it worse.

"Sorry."

Nodding she accepted it. "Are you always that quiet?"

His lip twitched. "Unless I remind myself to make some noise."

That was crazy. She hadn't thought anyone had to think about making noise. She thought it worked the other way. "Oh." His smile grew. "Is Jeb alright?"

Shifting her slightly he eased behind her as his arms wrapped around her stomach. "He was only tired. Between the run to the city and the visit he was worn down."

She laid her head back on his chest so she could look up at him. "I guess that could have waited until tomorrow. Sorry."

He rolled his blue eyes. "You don't need to be sorry. He had a good time. I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he saw all those swords."

Her eyes crinkled in amusement and she turned her attention back to the whiteout. He stood holding her in comfortable silence for several minutes before speaking. "What are you thinking behind those big blue eyes, Sweetheart?"

She shifted feeling reluctant to tell him. "I have a plan."

She felt all his attention focused on her even though she couldn't see him from the position they were in. "What is it?"

"We still have a few days until the eclipse. I know everyway in and out of the palace. I think I could sneak in and-"

His arms tightened around her. "No."

She pried his arms off of her and spun to face him. She felt her jaw setting as her stubborn streak kicked into high gear. "I can kill him. I can stop this now before it gets any worse."

His eyes flashed in response. "You don't have any guarantee on that. He's going to be surround by his men if he has half a brain. They can kill you with bullets as fast as he can with magic."

"If I kill him first I don't see how that would matter!" His head reared back and she threw her arms in the air in aggravation. It wasn't that she had a death wish but she was downright terrified of letting him at Az. "I won't let him near my sister!"

Suddenly Wyatt grabbed her arms and shook her hard. "You're as important as your sister, Deeg! You can't spend your life tryin' to make hers better!"

He didn't understand anything. He didn't understand the lessons that had been drilled into her head. He didn't understand what her sister meant to her or her obligations to the realm. "She's the heir apparent! It's my job to keep her safe!"

"And who keeps you safe?" He snapped at her. That brought her up short. She had never put much consideration into that before. She opened her mouth before closing it and looking down at the ground. Having no answer to his question she shrugged her shoulders discontentedly. "Sweetheart…"

She was suddenly and irrationally bothered by the nickname he had given her. Her eyes flashed up to his. "Stop calling me that! There is nothing at all sweet about me!" She moved to leave and he caught her before she could finish her rotation.

"I'm not going to let you run from me." He was holding her firmly as he made that promise, his shoulders set and eyes unwavering. "I know you're not used to this, to having someone there, but I'm not going to throw you away like your parents did if something happens. There's no point in tryin' to stop it before it happens by leavin'."

His sincere words hit something painful inside of her and she tried to wrench her arm away from him. As soon as she did he stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her body so she couldn't escape. She was so upset that she didn't think to use her magic to get away as she started forcing back the sobs that were trying so hard to escape her. She started choking as she fought against her grief and his grip. When he heard her he picked her up and carried her to a nearby chair even as she thrashed. After one last massive effort she lost her will to fight and he sat down, cradling her against him.

"It's ok." His voice had dropped an octave as he reached down and pulled her legs up so they were draped over one of his legs. She was quivering as she gasped back her tears and he ran a hand over her back in soothing circles. "You're allowed to be upset, Deeg."

She shook her head because that simply wasn't true. She was still so paranoid that her parents would banish her that the most she ever allowed herself were a few well-chosen jibs in their presence. It didn't help her peace of mind that Az had gone off on them. Besides, the likelihood of someone walking in on her while she cried or vented were so great that she had simply learned to repress it all. The one time she had lost the battle against her tears she had been sent to the coast. As far as she was concerned they served no purpose other than making her feel even more foolish when she was left alone to remember her breakdown.

She felt his lips against her hair and took a shaky breath as she yanked everything she was feeling back in. "Don't do that." His voice rumbled through her as he rubbed his hand up her arm.

"I'm not doing anything." She wasn't even attempting to get away from him anymore.

"You're tryin' to put your camouflage back on. I already told you I like you better without it. If you keep fightin' this it's going to end up tearing you to pieces from the inside out." Her body started shaking harder and his fingers smoothed down to her hip. "That's it. You go ahead and do what you need to. No one's going to bother you while I'm here."

She wasn't sure if it was his promise to keep this between them or his assurance that it was safe for her to let her emotions out but she lost it. Every shred of control she had cultivated so carefully over the years vanished and she convulsed with sobs. Her body curled up tighter and the Tin Man simply moved his arms so they were covering as much of her as they could. She didn't know how long she had been weeping when his soft words began to register but once they did her body began to loosen as her tears slowed down. By the time she stopped she wasn't all that impressed with herself. She was a quaking mess and all she had to show for it was a pathetic story about her past, which Cain already knew about.

His hands ran through her hair as she sat curled up against him staring at the collar of his white shirt. "Good girl." He reclined farther back into the cushions as he rubbed her back. "Jeb likes you, you know."

She sniffed and glanced at him. She was so thrown by the change of topic that she forgot she should be upset or humiliated by her display. "What?" Her voice was scratchy from crying and she swallowed. She needed a glass of water.

He hummed as his other hand came up and smoothed away the tears that were still on her face. "I thought he did at the cabin but you definitely won him over with all the pointed objects."

She stared at him blankly. It hadn't occurred to her that his son might like her. It also hadn't occurred to her until that moment how much it mattered to her. "He does?"

He smiled slightly at the question. "Told me himself." Pleasure spread through her at the unexpected acceptance. "And now that I have his approval I suppose it's alright if I declare my intentions."

Huh? She knew there was a look of bewilderment on her face. The Tin Man leaned closer and kissed her still damp cheek. "I'd like to court you if you don't mind." His words were teasing but she could see the seriousness in his eyes.

She responded to the lighthearted banter without really thinking about it. "If Jeb doesn't mind then I guess its ok."

He smiled widely and kissed her lips swiftly before standing them up. Before she could ask where they were going he was guiding her into the bathroom. He had one arm loosely around her waist as he searched the counter for what he was after. Finding a washcloth he let her go and wet it before turning to find her. He gently smoothed the warm cloth over her face until he had wiped all the tears away.

"Thanks." She really meant it. She had never felt better after she cried before, but now it was as if her body had loosened after holding a dance position for too long.

He tossed the cloth to the side and leaned back against the counter as he began to rearrange her hair. "How you feelin'?" His eyes were on her curls and not her face as he asked. She wondered if he was trying to give her some space to work that out.

"Better."

"Good." She heard satisfaction mixed up with affection and pressed the side of her head into his palm. His blue eyes found hers and his other hand went up to rest on her hip as he watched her. Guiding her against him he lowered his head as she lifted hers and pressed his lips against hers in a slow hot kiss. Heat flared through her and she moaned, only to have him press her tighter against his body.

She lifted her arms and wrapped them over his shoulders as he pulled back just enough to change the angle of his kiss before capturing her mouth again. She felt his groan as she flattened her body against him, and his hand flowed from her side to her bottom, pressing her harder against his hips. He rubbed against her and she shuddered at the unexpected feelings that crashed over her. With a strained groan he yanked his mouth away from hers and peppered a frantic trail of kisses from her ear to well below her jaw. "Sweetheart, I should go before you get any harder to walk away from."

Her stomach clenched and she spoke without thinking about what she was saying. "I don't want you to go."

She felt a shudder run over him as his mouth found her shoulder. "Do you know what's going to happen if I stay?" She heard the strain in his voice as he tried to gain control over himself.

She had to admit that she didn't have much knowledge of what he was talking about except what she had read in her book. "No." His nose bumped against her neck as she continued. "But I figured you would show me." She didn't know where her sudden boldness had come from, and she wasn't sure how long it was going to hold, but she meant what she said.

His breathing grew shallower as he clutched at her. Then his mouth was back on hers and his hands smoothed tenderly over her body. "You sure about this, Deeg?" His voice was a low rumble as he caught her face and locked eyes with her.

The heat in them made her whole body clench up with want. "Yes."

He bent slightly and picked her up. "Let's get you to bed then." She quivered at the lust in his voice and tried to gather herself for what she was doing.

Author Note: Ajax is holding Fred down with his hoof. I fear a battle will ensue unless my demands are met…Keep that in mind.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Fred has been released. And he would like to point out that Tin Man isn't mine.

He set Deeg on her feet when they were next to the bed, and cupping her face, kissed her as passionately as he was able. She pressed back against him and his other arm looped around her body as he tasted her. Her arms snaked up around his shoulders and both of his hands moved up between her shoulder blades. Rubbing her over the dress he moved back a few inches and watched her eyes as he began to loosen the silk ribbon that held her dress together. She flushed and pressed her face into his neck.

Her lips pressed against the skin above his collar and he sighed in satisfaction as his hands glided from the laces, over her shoulders, and down her arms. Catching her waist he sat on the edge of the bed and guided her over his legs until she was straddling him. He could tell she was apprehensive about what was going to happen and wanted to make this as pleasurable for her as possible. He kissed her forehead tenderly as he snuck his hand under her dress and rested it on her knee.

Her breathing got noticeably shallower when his thumb began to circle over her skin. "Deeg…" He found her lips again and his hand smoothed up her thigh. "You are so beautiful."

Her hands moved to his holster and hovered on in for a moment before she shakily began to unbuckle it. She looked up at him from under her lashes and he saw her lips quirk up. "Your not so bad yourself."

A rumbling chuckle vibrated through him. She may have been nervous but she wasn't backing down a bit. He used the hand that wasn't on her thigh to cup her behind and lift her up and over him until she was flush with his chest. Deeg automatically spread her legs farther apart for balance and he bucked into her as soon as she settled. Her body responded and her hips shot forward rubbing against him. He responded to her immediately and her blush increased when she realized what had happened.

Not giving her time to think too deeply about it he attacked her neck with his mouth as he started rocking her more firmly against him at an easy pace. Her breathing began to hitch as they ground against each other and he forced himself to stop the sweet torture he was enduring before he lost control. There were plenty of other ways to have her whimpering for him.

Catching the hem of her dress he slid it higher up her legs until it was bunched just below the tops of her thighs. She squirmed and he groaned as he started massaging her legs from the bottom up. Between the flush that had spread well below the collar of her loosened dress, and the sounds she was making, he thought she might be able to do him in right here. "You are testin' my limits, Sweetheart."

Her blue eyes flashed with the most adorably perplexed look and he groaned again. She had no idea what she was doing and it was driving him so close to the edge he could barely focus. He was afraid to know what she was going to be able to do to him when she realized how she affected him. His hand edged up higher and he let his thumb graze her center. Her breath caught and he palmed the back of her neck with his other hand as she arched toward him with a small 'Oh,' falling from her lips.

Now certain she wasn't going to freeze up on him, he began to tease her center over the silky material she was wearing and she whimpered and pressed against his hand. Kissing her above the top of her dress he blew a puff of air up against her neck and she quivered. She was winding up much more quickly than he would have thought possible and all he wanted was to see her shatter against his hand. "Let go for me, Sweetheart." For the second time in less than an hour she complied. Deeg moaned and clutched at his arms right before her whole body went stiff and a wordless cry fell from her pink lips.

He held her up as her orgasm rolled through her, taking advantage of the fact that her head was thrown back. Gods, her skin turned the loveliest shade of pink when she came. Continuing to stroke her as she came down he held her when she started to go limp. As she drew out of her haze she tilted her head up and kissed him under his jaw as she snuggled against his chest.

Her soft lips were replaced with her forehead as her hands ran up his chest and found the top button on his shirt. Her forward behavior was surprising but hardly unwelcome as the fabric on his chest was slowly parted. As she worked on his shirt he quickly finished removing his holster, and holding her against him, leaned over and set his gun on the small stand next to the head of the bed. The last thing he wanted was to get caught off guard when all his attention was on her. He needed his gun close at hand to protect her if anyone managed to sneak up on them, not that he thought that was very likely.

As he straightened back up she had finished with the buttons and her curious hands began to brush over his chest. His arms moved away from her momentarily and she looked up into his face anxiously. Smiling down at her he kissed her again as he flicked the cuffs of his shirt open. She made a soft noise in the back of her throat when she saw what he was doing and he waited as she decided what she wanted to do. He'd already decided he wasn't going to push her into anything and thought it might be best to let her explore on her own. It would make her feel more comfortable latter if he didn't try to guide her anywhere.

When he set his hands above her hips and watched her patiently he knew she had caught on to what he was waiting for. Her fingers fluttered over his shoulders and she was self-conscious for the first time since she had asked him to stay. Her eyes fell away from his face. "I don't know what to do."

He dropped his head and nuzzled her neck encouragingly as he reassured her. "You can't do anything wrong, Darlin'. This is about learnin' each other."

In response Deeg began to push the shirt off him and he helped shrug it off. Once he was free her fingertips danced over his skin and he groaned as he tried to hold still for her. He managed to last several minutes before he had to have her skin against his. Catching her wrists he brought her palms up to his face and after pressing a kiss to each one stood them back up.

She slid off his legs and he ran his hands firmly over her sides as she found his mouth again. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to wait and broke the kiss unhurriedly while he found the top of her dress. The laces were already loose and he knew it would fall away without any effort at all. "Ok?"

She nodded and he peeled the dress over her slim shoulders. Once it was past her elbows it flowed down her body in a blue wave until it pooled at her feet. She was left in only the silky undergarment he had felt on her earlier. He felt his head starting to get cloudy with lust at the sight of her. She began to fidget and he grabbing her hands, placing them back over his shoulders. Having her tight against him wasn't helping his self-control and he couldn't suppress a low growl as he palmed her breasts.

She whimpered and pressed into his hands. Unable to wait much longer he swung her around and sat her on the edge of the bed. He kneeled down between her legs, and reaching up, caught her face. Tracing the outline of her jaw he thought he should warn her before this went farther. "Deeg, the first time is going to hurt a bit."

She smiled at him tensely as she ran a hand through his hair sending small sparks of excitement through him. "I know."

He smiled at her, and even as he wondered where she had gathered that information, he claimed her mouth again. Curling his arm around her he laid her out on the bed, and running his hands down her body, caught the pale silk with his thumbs and eased it down off her legs. She lifted her hips to help him and he let his hands stroke her legs all the way down before he stood and dropped them on the floor. Unhooking his own pants he chucked them off before lying down next to her. Propping himself up on his elbow he tucked her beneath him and kissed her warmly.

Deeg sighed against his lips and clutched at his arms. Reaching between them as he sucked on her neck he rubbed her clit with his thumb in a teasing circle as he ran a finger between her legs. A small mewl fell from her lips even as a shudder ran down her. Her eyes were reflecting lust, worry, and affection as he tested how ready she was for him. Her wet heat had him on the edge in less time than it took him to take a breath. The nervousness he saw in her eyes was the only thing keeping his body at bay. "Don't worry, Deeg, I'll take care of you."

"I know." The honest trust in her voice sent warmth straight to his heart.

Easing her legs apart he moved over her and rested his forehead on hers wanting to feel connected. Positioning himself he started chanting '_gently, gently, gently_' in his head as he pushed slowly into her. She was so very tight around him as he began to enter her that he could have let go right then. Deeg gasped softly and tilted her hips up causing him to slip inside her faster than he intended. Reaching down quick as lightning he pressed her hips into the mattress and sighed out a choked plea. "Easy, Sweetheart." He was trying so hard not to thrust past her barrier that he was starting to shake. "This time has to be easy."

She stilled and he cursed himself for making her more nervous than she must already be. "It's ok. Everything's fine." He kissed her swiftly. "Are you ready?"

She nodded silently and he pulled out before rocking back into her just hard enough slip all the way in. Deeg let out a sharp whimper and he stayed still as her body tried to adjust to him. Pushing her hair back as he balanced himself on his other arm he whispered soft reassurances to her. "Shhh, Sweetheart. I'm sorry. It'll be over in a minute." One of her legs came up as she tried to alleviate the sting and he let out a soft grunt as it forced him deeper into her. She bit her bottom lip and he stroked her cheek soothingly as he fought his body into submission. "Good girl. Stay still for me. I promise to make you see stars as soon as it stops."

After a few minutes of what he considered the worst torture he had ever endured her body relaxed and he felt her squeezing him with her inner muscles. He let out a strangled groan and began to rock inside her slowly. Her breathing hitched and he began to pull out farther before sliding back into her. Then she moaned out his name and he got lost in the feeling of her. Endearments began to fall from his lips as he drove her toward the edge until all he could manage were soft groans of appreciation.

Deeg started tightening around him and the grip he had on her hip tightened so she couldn't squirm away. He stretched his thumb out and rubbed her in time with his thrusts until she went stiff and cried out softly. He thrust into her a few more times as he lost his rhythm and let go with a shout as he buried himself as deeply inside her as he could as waves of white hot pleasure tore through him. He slumped over her feeling dizzy at the force of his own orgasm and continued to see small bursts of light behind his eyelids.

Once he managed to get some blood back in his head he shifted to the side and pulled out of her. She winced slightly as she continued to pant and he wrapped his arm over her back as he gathered her against his chest. He managed to wrestle a blanket over his shoulder and covered them before the cold of the room could get to them.

His hand ran lazily over her shoulder and arm and he was feeling more content than he had in years when her voice floated up to him. "Is it always like that?"

He kissed the top of her head. "It won't hurt again."

"That's not…" She stopped talking and let her head fall to his chest. He knew she wasn't going to elaborate since she was hiding her face from him. He had noticed that she had started doing that when she was confused or uncomfortable once she found out her mask didn't work on him. Catching her chin he angled her head back up so he could see her eyes. He watched her with his unspoken question hanging between them. She bit her lip before making a second attempt. He could tell she was trying hard to articulate her thoughts. "Does it always feel? Is it always?"

Her mixed up questions cleared that up for him. He hooked his arm under hers and dragged her up so they were eye-to-eye before he began to trace the planes of her face. "No, Sweetheart." The only other partner he had ever felt so connected with was his late wife. "It's not always like this." She searched his eyes for he didn't know what. "But I think it will be with us."

She gave him a shy smile and he felt his own soft grin in response to her. Tucking her back against him he felt her begin to drift off after a long period of comfortable silence between them. He stroked her hair until she slipped into sleep and listened to her sigh as she fell into a dream.

He wouldn't be able to let her go after this, not that he was all that sure he would have been able to after that day in the field. Ozma help anyone that tried to hurt her now. The protective side of him, the side that had been buzzing in response to her since they met, had started snarling in righteous rage after she had started sobbing against his chest. And bringing her into his bed, or her bed as the case may be, had done nothing to alleviate those feelings. He wasn't about to try to assuage them either.

By the way she had reacted when he had promised to stay with her, followed closely by her flat refusal to show any emotion, he knew she had been badly treated in the past. And while he knew her story, and the story her parents thought they knew, he was deeply suspicious that she had been neglected in many ways long before she had been sent away.

Even if she had been cast out to sea so to speak, she had been in the company of Raw, who she trusted more than anyone for the last four years. For at least three of those years they had been pack mates and friends. Yet she had still been so afraid of letting her emotions careen out of control that he was sure she hadn't cried, or shown any other strong emotion, in years. He was willing to put money on the fact that her short shouted rant at the duke after the attack in Finaqua had been a rare blip in her otherwise outwardly serene behavior.

It wasn't natural or healthy to keep such strong feelings inside, especially for a human. Control like that took both time and motivation to acquire, and even the best trained people he knew with such skills had family or friends they went to in order to blow of some steam when the pressure built up too high. He had sure let his own frank opinions out more than once in front of his family after a rough day. He was sure having an extra set of emotions and memories hadn't helped much either.

Deeg twitched against him and he readjusted her so she was more comfortable. He hadn't asked her what had happened in her parent's suite either. She had been distant when she had come in and he hadn't wanted to push her in front of Jeb, who he'd had a serious conversation with about her, or while she was getting her stitches removed. He'd meant to ask when he'd come for her in her rooms, but their conversation had veered in another direction entirely. Then there hadn't been much conversation at all. He knew something was wrong, or more likely constantly off, between her and her family but he refused to let that continue. By the way she was acting he would rather she be away from them then constantly being browbeaten.

The Furball had been right about her not deserving to feel lonely. He wasn't going to let her feel that way again, even if it did mean getting hexed by a monarch.

Author Note: Whew. That was a long one but since I got the Tin Man from several of you it only seemed fair. Ajax and Fred are munching peacefully on carrots and Ian is teaching me to throw knives. It's a very happy household… What? Oh, sorry, the Tin Man is calling for me. You guys are on your own.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Tin Man isn't mine. Ajax says hi and has decided to set up a grooming schedule since there has been some fighting about it.

The first thing she noticed when she came awake was how comfortable she was. The second thing she noticed was a warm weight against her back and over her stomach. The Tin Man was breathing in and out evenly as he slept and the memory of what they had done last night came flooding back to her. She felt her face flush hotly and she wasn't exactly sure what she was feeling.

She shifted slightly and winced when her legs brushed together. They were sore and sticky. She lifted the blanket back and tilted her head down as she tried to get a better look at them. As soon as she shifted she jolted the Tin Man out of his dreams. Wyatt sucked in a short breath as he came awake and tightened his arm around her. "Deeg?" His voice was gruff with sleep as he found the back of her neck with his lips.

She quivered all over at the contact as her body reacted to the memory of what he had made her feel like last night. "Good morning." Even she could hear the shy hesitance in her voice when she said it and tried not to squirm. She was unsure of what he was expecting from her and was afraid of disappointing him somehow. She'd been afraid of doing just that last night but he had seemed so very satisfied as she drifted off against him. Then again she had been in a happy haze, and what did she know about it? Still, he hadn't left before she'd woken up. That had to mean something didn't it?

He hummed against her and cradled her closer to him as he rubbed his face in her hair. "You talk in your sleep." His voice was muffled by her dark locks.

"I do?" She twisted her head slightly with her eyebrows drawn together.

He chuckled quietly and it ran all the way through her body. "Mmhmm." She found his eyes and they were glinting with sleepy amusement. "Told me you wanted to go get some paints." She blinked at him baffled. She'd never actually tried to paint before. At her look of bewilderment his chuckle turned into a laugh. "And here I was hoping you could tell me what you were wantin' to do with it."

"Maybe next time I start talking you should ask." The moment the words left her mouth she regret them. She still wasn't sure he wanted there to be a next time. She shouldn't assume things like that; it would lead to disappointment, or worse.

If he saw the dilemma in her eyes he didn't mention it. Instead he grinned and kissed her on the cheek. "Right smart idea." She felt herself relax at his easy response and he nuzzled behind her ear. She sighed contentedly and he rumbled deep in his chest as his hand ran over her side to her hip. "Are you sore from last night?"

She felt herself flush hard as Wyatt stroked up and down her leg. She whispered out a response. "A little."

He kissed her neck before rolling her around to face him. Once he could, he pressed another kiss to her mouth before pulling away. "It shouldn't last long." He was much less ruffled by all this than she was. He lay there stroking her hair with the arm he had curled under her and had his other hand on her hip. He must have sensed her increasing apprehension because his touches became more soothing. "What's the matter?"

Honestly nothing was. She simply felt different. For a moment she thought it was the fact that she had spent the night with him. Surely that had to change a person. Then she looked up into his eyes and knew what it was. She hadn't put the pieces together in her head last night. She was so upset over loosing her uncle, of being hunted by a dark mage, and being forced to deal with all the emotional baggage that came with coming home again that she hadn't been listening to what he had been saying.

When he'd asked her who kept her safe it wasn't because he wanted a name. He knew there wasn't anyone there. He'd been telling her he was willing to do that for her. When he told her he wasn't going to toss her aside, she hadn't considered that he was also saying he wasn't going to let her go off on her own when this was all over. When he'd asked to court her he wasn't implying that it was some sort of passing dalliance as so many of the court romances were. He had been asking her for permission to be her partner.

Courtships were more serious in his social class than they were in hers. They weren't driven by passing fads, social prowess, or the need to get a political agenda through the system. That was so ingrained in her that it hadn't occurred to her that he would have a different perspective on what he was asking. In his world a courtship usually ended in a love match. When nobility was involved nothing was considered significant unless a betrothal was announced.

All those thoughts flew through her head in a few seconds. Her stomach clenched at the realization that she actually meant something to this man. She meant more to him than her birthright, or her magic, or her family. Leaning forward she caught the back of his head with her hand, and dragging him to her, kissed him shakily. He grunted in surprise at his sudden capture but to her relief he didn't pull away from her. Instead he swept her under him never breaking contact with her.

She started to tremble before he managed to get his balance. "Deeg?" He had stopped moving with one of his calloused hands on her stomach when he felt her. She just kissed him again tangling her hands in his blond hair. Blue eyes searched hers for a long second before his lips grazed hers tenderly. His hand continued to trail its way down her body until it slowly circled her center. She gaped softly, torn between the slight pain and the titillating pleasure his fingers were producing and let her legs fall open. "Does that feel good, Sweetheart?"

She moaned out an answer as he drove her beyond shame. "Yes."

He hummed against her shoulder as he sucked on her skin, his fingers never pausing in their sure movements as he drove her back to the place he had taken her before. "You're not gonna hold out on me this mornin' are you, Darlin'?" She whimpered helplessly as one of his fingers dipped inside of her. "No…you're too nice for that." He crooked his finger up and hit a place inside her that made her whole body spasm. She gripped his shoulders and cried his name out loudly as she shuddered.

He swiped his hand through her curls as she came down and pulled one of her legs over his hip. "I do love hearin' you say my name that way." She gasped as he slid smoothly into her. "Let's see if I can get you to say it again." Her back arched as he filled her up. Sensations rolled up her and all she could do was hold onto him as he started moving inside her again. The last time she had been bombarded with so many emotions she had had a second consciousness forced into her. This was so intense, and he was being so careful with her as his fingers brushed the underside of her leg as he pumped in and out of her over and over.

Wanting him deeper inside she tilted her hips as she had last night right before he had pinned her in place and he groaned as he pressed her leg up higher. "Ozma, Deeg." He kissed her hard and twisted his hips the next time he bottom out in her. That sent a jolt through her and she ran her nails down his back as she began to spiral out of control.

"Wyatt, please!" She was bucking against him hard as she fought for release.

He growled low in his chest at her pleading tone and thrust into her harder than he had before as he continued to twist his hips. She fell of the edge with a gratified scream as he lost control along with her. Through the nearly blinding pleasure she felt him clasping her hips hard as he buried himself as deeply inside of her as he could get. He choked out her name and shuddered over her before he pressed his face into her damp neck.

They lay tangled up together as they gasped for air for several long minutes. One of his hands came up to caress the back of her head as he tried to catch his breath. "Darlin', you are the sweetest little thing."

She blushed and ran her fingers over his hair. He sighed with contentment and pressed up into her hand. She laughed breathily thinking he was acting a lot like a big lovable puppy and scratched his scalp lightly with her nails. He must have liked that because he moved his head to her chest as his arm fell to her side and he made himself comfortable. "Do I make a good pillow?"

"Bit flat but you'll do." She rolled her eyes but continued to play with his hair. It was really very soft and the prettiest color she had ever seen. The first rays of the sun were trying to break through the raging storm outside when her stomach started growling. She bit her lip as the Tin Man raised his head and stared down at her stomach. "Was that you or is there a Papay growlin' under your bed?"

Her lip started twitching like crazy. "I guess I'm hungry."

His eyes danced with amusement. "You guess? What did you have to eat yesterday that left you so empty?"

She tilted her head up at him. That was a silly question. She had eaten with him. "We had muglug."

The amusement was replaced with concern. "That was the last thing you ate?" When she shrugged he frowned. "Deeg, that was almost two days ago. I thought you ate when I was with Jeb and Raw."

"No."

"What were you doing with your family?" He was angry now and she fidgeted.

"We were… talking." His eyes flashed and he sat up taking her with him.

"Talking." His lips were pressed together. "They should have been damn well making sure you were healthy." He kissed her cheek and helped her to her feet. "Come on. Let's get cleaned up and then find you some food."

He took her hand and led her to the bathroom where she tried to fight down the blood pooling in her cheeks. She was in no way used to standing in front of someone naked despite the fact that they had made love several times. He realized she was uncomfortable and pulled her against his side as the water slowly filled the bath up. He didn't say anything about it just rubbed her arms before setting her in the warm water. Once they were clean and dressed, Wyatt had practically shoved her into a pair of pants, they made a quick stop in Wyatt's room so he could change into a new set of clothes before heading down to the kitchens.

They were promptly handed a few plates of food and chased out of the kitchens by an irate old chef. Cain sent the man an icy glare as he held the door open for her and they retreated to a small parlor. She dug into her food eagerly and Wyatt sent her more than one unreadable look as she cleaned her plate as politely as possible. Once they were done he snatched her up and plunked her next to him on a loveseat near a window. She sighed happily and leaned back into him feeling drowsily content with a full stomach and her body thrumming so pleasantly.

She started playing with the cuff of his shirt as she glanced dreamily out the window. "Wyatt?"

"Hmm?"

She leaned her head back so she could see him. She was hit with a sudden interest in his life. "Do you still live in Central City?"

His eyebrow quirked up. "Sure. My house is over on the south side."

She searched her memory. "Past the marketplace?"

He tucked some hair behind her ear. "Yeah."

Smiling at him she repositioned herself and she felt him shake his head as his arm wrapped around her waist. She wandered into that neighborhood before. It was nice and neat, with blossoming trees lining the streets. "I like the tulip trees there."

He bent his head down so he was peering at her. "You've been there?"

"I told you I used to sneak into the city. I got turned around in there once."

"Of course you did." She heard humor in his voice. "Is there anywhere you didn't find your way to?"

"How would I know if I haven't been there?"

His laughter rang through the room and he squeezed her in a one armed hug. She was smiling up at his twinkling eyes when the door to their sanctuary opened. They both looked over and she wilted against him when she spotted her parents in the doorway. Before she could even think about slipping away from him he had tightened his grip nearly imperceptibly around her waist as he stared impassively at them.

Her mother's violet eyes flashed as she took in their proximity on the small sofa and her father stiffened all over. She noticed one of the old books in her mother's delicate hands as the Tin Man kissed her temple before standing up. He tilted his hat to the royal couple. "Your Majesties." Ozma's freaking rainbow. She was never going to be allowed back again.

She scrambled up behind him as Az bumped into Ahamo's back. She could see Ambrose's odd dreadlocks behind her sister's shoulders. "Why aren't we going in?" Her sister sounded less than pleased to be kept waiting.

The consort moved farther into the room so Az could walk by him never taking his eyes off of Cain's. The heir apparent huffed as she breezed by until she saw the two of them in front of the couch. Her eyebrows drew together as her eyes flicked between the four of them. Then her dark eyes sparked with clarity as they flew to hers. Thank the gods her sister had political training and was on her side because there was no way she could have salvaged the situation on her own.

Az pretended as if nothing at all was going on as she walked over to the table they had eaten breakfast at. "We found a few things you missed, Baby Sister."

"Really?" She latched onto that gratefully.

"Yes, let's sit so we can talk about it." Ambrose had stepped up behind a chair and held it out for her. She sat down gracefully and then glanced back up at her. "There is something here we don't understand."

That was perfect. There was nothing at all like a new mystery right before getting attacked by a dark mage hell bent on her death. The glaring match going on between her father and Wyatt was great too.

Author Note: 


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Tin Man isn't mine. Sighhhhhhhhhh.

He hadn't had a stare off like this with anyone for as long as he could remember. He found himself less than impressed with the display the consort was putting on. Raising his eyebrow slightly he made sure that message came across as he put his hand on the small of Deeg's back and propelled her toward the table. She was tense as a bowstring and he rubbed her discretely with his fingertips before letting her go so he could pull out a chair for her. She sat down with her princess persona pulled protectively over her and he sat next to her without a word.

The royal couple sat across from them, Ahamo still glaring, as Az took the book from her mother and snapped it open to a marked page. Pointing to a line she slid the book toward her sister. The Kid leaned over as her eyebrows drew together. Her lips moved as she formed silent words then she shook her head. Indicating a place on the page she gave the book back to her sister. "I don't recognize this symbol."

The heir apparent sighed and took the tome back. Without really looking at it she recited what he was sure she wanted Deeg to read. "Powered by the eclipse dark magic can gain the ability to harness the light itself. Without balance the light will be torn from it's source and converted to the will of the darkness."

"He's goin' to try to suck out your magic?" That was downright unpleasant.

Ambrose shifted. "That's what it sounds like. If the book is right he'll be able to turn their power into his own."

He crossed his arms over his chest as he mulled that over. The queen's melodic voice floated over the table as her eyes pinned her daughter in place. "The question is how strong he'll become if he manages to get our magic. The mage is already extremely powerful, but coming after all of us, even at the height of the eclipse, is nearly suicidal."

He rubbed his eyes. "Not if he's killed the duke."

The Kid curled in on herself and he hated having said it but they had to be aware. "That's true." The advisor was grim. "If he's stolen his light it will have converted to him once the eclipse starts. It may give him an added boost he needs to stop you."

The queen was white with fury. He doubted she took kindly to the fact that her brother may have been sucked dry. Not that he was taking it all that kindly. "We'll need the emerald. It may tip the scales in our favor." _The emerald?_ This woman meant business if she was going to call the original slipper's relic to her. The queen stood up gracefully. "I'll call it to us." Her oddly colored eyes locked on Deeg. "Dorothy, have your friend the viewer try to see what may happen. Anything will help." Crooking her finger she continued as she breezed out the door. "Come, Azkadilla. You'll need to hold the storm while I summon the gem."

Ambrose stood as her sister's dark eyes flashed at the order and pulled the chair out so she could stand. He would love to know the specifics of what the older princess had been yelling about when they'd come in the day before but wasn't sure Deeg was going to tell him even if he asked. She was awfully protective of the older woman. The young couple walked out after the queen and they were left alone with Ahamo.

The Kid's eyes darted from him to her father so fast he barely saw the movement. Oh, he wasn't having any of that. He had a few things he'd like to say to the consort with her out of hearing range. He nudged her under the table. "Best find Raw, Deeg." She searched his eyes quickly before pushing out of her chair doubtfully. She cast one last worried glance over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her. She didn't look at all happy about leaving the two of them alone together. He, on the other hand, couldn't have been more pleased.

Waiting until her footfall faded away he turned his head back to the consort. Pale blue eyes were flashing with fury. "What do you think you're doing with my daughter?" Ahamo's voice snapped forcefully across the table.

He answered without any remorse. "Courting her."

Ahamo stood up, his chair scrapping against the rug. "I don't recall giving you consent to do that."

"I don't recall askin'." If Ahamo thought he was going to be cowed into submission he had the wrong man. "Deeg isn't a child. I hardly need your permission to do anything."

The consorts jaw tightened as he wound himself up. He felt a surge of roguish glee tingle down his spine. "DG is a princess of the realm! She deserves better than-"

His temper snapped as his vision went red. He snarled at the other man before he could finish that sentence. "Better than what? She deserved better than being ignored so badly when she was younger that she managed to sneak off into the city unprotected for well over a year." Ahamo faltered and he realized the consort was completely unaware that Deeg had ever once done that. He stood up and leaned menacingly over the table. "She deserved better than being taught that she was worth substantially less than her sister. She deserved better than being dragged to events so full of people that she had to fight to keep herself from goin' into a panic attack. And she sure as hell deserved better than being shipped off to the coast when she was hurt and terrified!"

"Hurt?" Ahamo's lips pressed together. "Is that what she told you?" He ignored that question. The last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to the fact that Deeg had been thrown into something she had never asked for. "Don't question my parenting, Tin Man. You don't know what she let her magic do to her."

"I don't need to question it." He knew his eyes had frosted over as cold rage over took his hot fury. Did this man know so little about his own daughter that he thought she would actually want to stay in a state of drain? He'd only known the Kid for a few weeks and he knew that was about the last thing she would ever do to herself. "She threw you into a travel storm and stayed to fight a mage she thought would kill her so you would be safe." His voice dropped dangerously. "Tell me, did you even ask her if she was injured when she walked in here yesterday? Two days she was missin'. Anything could have happened to your daughter in that amount of time. Did you ask?"

The consort's eyes flickered, though he didn't back down. "She was fine."

"No." He straightened as contempt dripped from his voice. "You are a piss poor father, Ahamo. How Deeg turned out half as good as she did is beyond me."

"She was injured?" He heard real worry in the consort's voice. He was sorely lacking in sympathy as the other man started around the table, his eyes trained on the door. Grabbing his shirt he shoved him roughly back into the room. He was beyond caring about social class or rank. He figured giving Jeb that talk about watching his mouth was a bit hypocritical.

"The viewer took care of her." Ahamo staggered as he tried to stay on his feet and he positioned himself between the door and the royal. "And when that mage got to her at the ball I was the one that took care of her. When you sent her off all by herself at seventeen she was forced to take care of herself. Seems to me there are a number of people taking care of Deeg that aren't you." He locked eyes with the older man so the message wouldn't get lost. "I suggest we keep it that way from now on. I'd hate to see the girl start to cry again."

The consort was breathing heavily as they stared at one another. He saw the other man waver and knew he had won. Holding his eyes for another few second he turned on his heel and walked out, slamming the door behind him. A grim sort of satisfaction radiated out of him as he began to make his way up to the Furball's quarters. That was one problem taken care of. He didn't want that troubled look in her blue eyes again if he could help it. If keeping her father away from her was all it took to prevent that he considered the day a success.

It took him a good five minutes to make it to the family wing the palace was so large. When he did, he found the door open a crack and stepped in to find Jeb making a fool of himself. He shook his head because his son's clowning was working as well as any compulsion spell he'd ever heard of. If his son had spent half as much time on his studies as he did charming people he'd be as smart as the advisor. Jeb was standing next to Deeg while juggling four brightly colored balls in one hand and trying to teach her to juggle three more with the other.

He could see humor dancing in her eyes as he tried to explain it to her and flipped one of the balls into his empty hand while he continued to throw the other three in a practiced pattern. "Where exactly did you learn to do this?" The Kid took a step away from him as she tried to start tossing them the way he had explained.

He gave her his most winning smile and he rolled his eyes. Sweeping into a bow Jeb began to throw the balls in a crazily complex pattern around his entire body. "Why the eastern tribe, My Lady."

Deeg eyes shone with admiration at his son's dexterity even though her voice was tinged with skepticism. "The eastern tribe taught you to juggle?"

"Of course they did." Jeb's voice was innocent. "No one's better at juggling than the tree dwellers. They have amazing hand-eye coordination. They have to, don't they? All those ropes and ladders everywhere."

He'd never heard such nonsense in all his life. Walking up behind his son he waited silently as he caught all of the balls and straightened from his comically extended bow before bopping him on the head. Jeb squawked in shock as he caught him off guard and his act went tumbling to the ground. "Ahhh, Dad! What was that for?"

Deeg had one of her hands over her mouth as she tried to muffle her giggling. "For lyin' very poorly."

He grinned as he toed one of the balls back up to his hand with his booted foot. "Yeah, but you have to admit it was a good story."

Deeg tossed a single red ball back and forth between her hands. "It was entertaining."

"Yes, encourage him." She snickered and Jeb beamed over at her. His lip twitched at their interaction. He was glad they were getting along and flat out amazed the Kid was so relaxed around his son. She was usually skittish or hiding but with Jeb she was simply herself. He wondered why that was or if she was aware she was doing it at all. "Where's the Furball?"

Deeg pointed to the bedroom door as she stared intently at the toy in her other hand. "In his room. I think we were too loud. He needs quiet to focus. He's not all that great with foresight. I'm not real sure he's going to get anything. Usually all he can get are feelings or very general possibilities."

"You did say he was much better at healing than anything else."

She was holding the ball in the palm of her hand and it started to glow softly. "Uhuh." She wasn't listening to him at all. As it began to glow more brightly she used her other hand and twirled her finger around the circumference of it. Jeb's eyebrows flew up as he began to rock back and forth eagerly. That was a sure sign that his son was excited. After a second where her eyebrows drew together in concentration the ball flashed and she smiled beautifully.

In her hand sat a strange double-sided flattened oval with a string wrapped around the middle. It was as red as the ball had been and she held it out to Jeb happily. He took it the moment he realized it was for him and began to turn it around in his hand as he studied it. Watching over his son's shoulder he noticed it was made of wood and the string had a small loop at the end of it.

"What's this?" The curiosity in Jeb's voice made his lip twitch.

"Oh." Deeg must have realized she had made a mistake. "It's a yo-yo." She plucked the small item out of his hand and looping the string around her middle finger took a few steps back and flicked her wrist out, letting the object fly out of her hand, only to have it fly back up the string. "I forgot it's an Otherside toy. It was my favorite when I was little. I thought you might know some tricks I didn't."

"You can do tricks with it?" She had his attention now.

She tilted her head up and nodded. "Sure." Letting the yo-yo fall back down she quickly made a triangle out of the string with her fingers and rocked the wooden oval through the center before spinning it out and jerking it back into her hand. Without pausing she turned away from them and threw the toy straight out it in a full circle three times before catching it again. Removing the string from her hand she gave it back to Jeb.

His son gave her a crooked smile as he started trying to get the transformed ball to work. "Thanks." With that his attention became completely engrossed with the new item.

"We've lost him now." She blinked at him and he grabbed her hand. Leading her to one of the couches in the room he sat down with her and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as he held her loosely against his side. He didn't see a point in pretending nothing was going on between them in front of Jeb.

His son had told him flat out that he may have been startled by his interest in the Kid but he wasn't upset. He hadn't done more than have a passing meal with a woman since Adora had died four years ago and apparently even his son had started to think he needed to find some new companionship. That fact had caught him unaware but it had been heartening to hear. It wasn't like his son to worry over him openly. The knowledge that Jeb may have been brooding over his happiness bothered him a bit, but he didn't see how that mattered anymore. He was happier with Deeg than he had thought possible; he was down right ecstatic to have her with him. He had never thought he would be lucky enough to find another woman he was so compatible with, one that he could love as much as he had loved his wife.

He leaned back and let his leg press up against hers. "He tends to fixate on things he likes until he works them out."

"He is very good at juggling." She was watching Jeb try to master the simple up and down motion the toy was meant to achieve.

"He's also very good at fighting." Her eyes found his and he gave her a rueful grin. "I thought Adora was going to kill me the third time he came back bloody. After I showed him the basics he started askin' some of the other Tin Men to show him how to improve when I was busy. Never seen anything like it. It was like he just knew how to move. He learned things in a few hours that took me weeks to get down when I'd been learnin'. Only problem was he had instincts but no direction. My friends weren't trying to be rough but he would run into 'em wrong cause they knew what they were doin'. He didn't quit though."

Her lip was twitching. "I think I probably would have tried to kill you too." Across the room Jeb remained oblivious to the conversation. "You should have him talk to Ambrose."

He quirked up an eyebrow. "What for?"

"He knows how to fight. I've never seen anyone move like that and I've been around guards my entire life. He could probably show him a few things." He grunted with interest. He'd like to see that. He wouldn't have pegged the wiry man as a fighter but the one's that knew how didn't generally flaunt it.

"If we can get him away from that contraption I might do that." At that moment the door to the bedroom opened and Raw stepped into the main room. He appeared tired and disheartened but not terrified. His son actually paused and looked over as the viewer lowered himself into an armchair.

"Raw see nothing but gray. Too many possibilities. Gift is healing not seeing." He was disappointed in himself over the lack of information he was able to obtain. "Can feel only desire from mage."

"That's ok, Raw. We knew it was a long shot."

He waved a hand tiredly. He could tell the man had hoped for more. His chocolate eyes slid to the main doors and he stretched. "Sister and mate come. Has question for DG." His dark eyes flicked to him knowingly and he knew what that would be about. "Raw will go find breakfast."

He called out a warning as the Furball left. "Watch out for that cook. He's right cranky."

"Raw has faced worse than a cranky cook." His eyes alighted on Deeg. "Had to put up with DG as pack sister. Can't be that scary." She huffed indignantly at her friend and stuck her nose in the air as he chuckled in response.

"I hope he turns you into lunch." He laughed softly as the viewer gave her a parting grin and left the room. He figured they had at least forty-five seconds of peace before her sister showed up. He took a deep breath and savored the moment. When this was done he was taking his girl away for a while. It didn't matter where as long as they were away.

Author Note: Too tired to be witty. Please review?


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Tin Man has never belonged to me. (Begins to build an elaborate trap in order to catch it.)

She felt Wyatt breath in deeply and twinned her fingers with his as she looked up at him. In the corner Jeb had gone back to the yo-yo and was occasionally making small, annoyed noises as he tried to get it to work properly. The Tin Man simply leaned down and kissed her on her forehead in that gentle way that made her feel so treasured. Even as he did she saw a spark of self-satisfaction in his eyes and wasn't sure what to make of it. She was more than a little worried over what may have happened between her father and Wyatt but he had come back unharmed and Ahamo hadn't been hot on his heels. She hoped the Tin Man hadn't killed him, though that didn't seem to be his style.

She didn't get a chance to ask him as her sister and her fiancé entered the room. At the same time Jeb managed to get the toy to go down and back in his hand and let out a triumphant whoop. Az's dark eyes went from the young man in the corner, who she'd only heard about, then back to the two of them sitting peacefully on the couch. "You look a lot better today, Ambrose."

He gave her his inventors grin, which was always questionable, and sat down on the chair Raw had vacated a few moments ago. "That viewer really is amazing. He came in and finished healing me this morning. I've never heard of one of the western tribe with so much power."

He wouldn't have. They were a secretive bunch. She was sure she knew more about them than nearly anyone alive and that was only because Raw and Lylo had been so kind to her. They could have easily left her alone to die if they'd wanted and no one would have blamed them for it. "I'm glad he managed to help you."

His toffee eyes danced. "I am too. Now I can continue to drive your sister crazy."

Her sister rolled her eyes with. "You've done that very well already, Glitch."

Ok, she couldn't keep herself from asking about that. "Glitch? What kind of nickname is that?"

The Advisor gave Az a pained look as she snickered. "Ambrose has a problem getting his inventions to work properly."

"Azka-D, that's really not fair-"

"One day I told him if he glitched half as often as they did he wouldn't even know who he was." Ambrose twitched. "It stuck."

The Tin Man chuckled against her and the advisor glared at him half-heartedly. She eyed her sister evilly. "I don't know I think I like Lov-" Az threw a ball of light at her that she blocked with a wave of her hand. What was a normal and light-hearted occurrence between of the two of them had an unfortunate side effect.

Wyatt was so startled by what he could only assume was a magic attack that he jerked her to the side hard enough that they ended up in a tangled pile on the opposite side of the couch. Pressed behind him she figured she should have warned him about the fact that she and Az had a tendency to hurl low-level spells at one another during their conversations. She heard the yo-yo slap into his son's hand as his voice floated dryly over to them. "Dad, I think that was an overreaction to the situation."

If they hadn't been attacked so many times she would have laughed. Instead she twisted her arm and rubbed a hand up his back ruefully as she squeezed out from behind him. "Sorry, Wyatt." He sighed and helped her straighten. "I guess I should have told you we did that. She wasn't going to hurt me."

Az and Ambrose had frozen in place the moment the Tin Man had reacted. "What have you two been dealing with?" Ambrose was watching the two of them with ideas bouncing behind his eyes.

"Dark mages." She answered.

"Demons." Cain leaned back in the couch.

"Angry soldiers." Jeb threw in as he sauntered over.

Her lip twitched as the advisor chuckled. "I see." The tension dissipated as swiftly as it rose up and the Tin Man relaxed again.

Wyatt shifted next to her as he glanced at his son. "Deeg tells me you can hold your own in a fight."

His toffee eyes started to calculate as he sized the Tin Man up. "I suppose I do well enough."

Wyatt grinned and nodded toward Jeb. "My son's got a knack for it himself. Maybe you could take him down a peg or two?"

The young man sent a feral grin to the advisor who turned his dreaded head toward him. "If you'd like to try I'd be happy to see what your skill level is."

Jeb's grin grew exponentially. "I'd appreciate that."

Ambrose stood up fluidly. "Very well. Let's head downstairs to the weapons room. We can turn that into a practice area easily enough if the ladies will be kind enough to help."

Az's eyes darted to hers and she knew she was trapped. Nothing was going to be easier than cornering her while the men-folk tried to wallop each other to a bloody pulp. She grumbled internally as they found their way to the room and Wyatt shut the double doors behind them. "Come on, Deeg." Az grabbed her hand and they both started to glow as she dragged her farther into the room. She could feel how committed her sister was by the way her magic was merging with hers. They always were stronger together than separately. "Ready?"

She muttered under her breath as Az began to make mats and mirrors along one clear wall. "Like I have a choice?" Her sister was using their combined magic as she wove the spell and she stood still so she wouldn't interrupt the process. When her sister was done she smiled brilliantly over her shoulder at Ambrose as she stepped out of the way.

"This is perfect." Ambrose grinned at her as he shrugged out of his brown tailored jacket. Tossing it over a suit of armor he headed to the middle of the padded mats and stared straight at Jeb. "Lets spar first. I'd like to see how good you are."

Wyatt's son sprang onto the soft area without further prompting. What she noticed, and wasn't sure that Jeb did, was how the advisor was watching him move. The Tin Man sure caught on fast enough but he kept silent as he circled around to the other side of the small arena they had made, eyes focused on his son. She and Az stepped back toward the wall as Ambrose tipped his head and Jeb sprang in.

It happened so fast she wished could have replayed it. Jeb ducked in as if to swing only twist out and kick at the advisor's knee. Ambrose had started moving mid-way through the young man's turn and as he kicked the advisor caught his ankle, and placing the palm of his other hand on his thigh, flipped him using his own momentum. Jeb had so much energy coiled into the kick that he was flung all the way onto his stomach before slamming into the ground. She heard the air whoosh out of his lungs and winced in sympathy.

Cain snorted and crossed his arms over his chest as his son started wheezing. "That'll teach to run in guns blazin'."

"I don't know. I think it was a pretty good strategy." Ambrose moved back as Wyatt's son rolled to his side. "It would have caught most people by surprise."

Wyatt wasn't impressed with the argument. "He should have known you weren't most people the second you invited him down here." Jeb glared at his father, still unable to breathe properly, and the Tin Man grinned down at his prone body. "Well? Get on up. No point in wastin' the man's time."

The teenager managed to stagger to his feet and the advisor nodded seriously before he started to explain what had gone wrong for him. Jeb listened attentively as Az lowered her voice so they wouldn't be overheard. "Deeg?" Her voice was sugary sweet and she darted a glance at her. This wasn't a good tone coming from her sister.

"Az."

"Is my little sister involved with that big, blond bodyguard?"

Uggg. She didn't want to talk about this. "Possibly."

Az nearly started vibrating. She looped her arm with hers and tugged her closer with a glint in her eye. "You have got to tell me what happened!"

She shook her head and stared toward the three men. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Why?" Her sister was trying to wheedle the information out of her. "Did it start at Finaqua? I know he helped kill that demon." Jeb hit the mat with an audible thud in front of them. "Oooo, he got you out of the ball too. Was he jealous over all those other men?"

She was distinctly uncomfortable. "Az, can we talk about something else?"

"You're no fun at-" Her sister stopped talking and looked more closely at her. She caught her eyes briefly before looking away quickly. Her sister's voice dropped even more. "Oh."

"Oh?"

"You love him."

Shaking her head firmly she denied that immediately. She wasn't even sure she knew what love was. "Az, really."

Her sister was silent as she turned back to watch Cain. "I just want to know you're happy.

Her temper tingled. She couldn't believe they were having this conversation. She turned it back on her sister in the hopes she could distract her. d"The way you let me know you were happy with Ambrose?"

Az blinked in shock. "What?" She didn't respond and her sister figured out how badly she had erred. "Baby Sister, I didn't think you would care."

"You didn't think I would care about you? About your life?" Her voice was soft and she knew she sounded depressed.

Her sister squeezed her arm. "They told me you were sick." Her shoulders slumped. It hadn't occurred to her that her parents hadn't told Az what they thought had happened. "I thought telling you about it would, I don't know, make it worse. I was afraid you would try to come back too soon and you would get worse. I wanted to tell you. I was so excited when you told mother you were better. I could barely wait until I got to see you. I nearly drove Glitch insane I was so hyper about it"

She nodded in understanding but she couldn't bring herself to look her sister in the eye. "I can understand that."

Az gave her a small smile. "But you are?"

"I'm what?"

"Happy."

She watched Jeb parry a punch from Ambrose as Wyatt's eyes gleamed with pride and finally locked her gaze on Az. "When I'm with Wyatt I am."

"Ok." Dark flecked eyes acknowledge what she was saying and they both turned their attention back to the center of the room. For the next three hours they watched as Cain's son went from being hurled repeatedly across the ground to actually landing a few hits. By the time the advisor called a halt to the session both he and Jeb were breathing heavily.

Swiping his forehead Ambrose nodded to Jeb. "You're a fast learner."

"Thanks. You're the best fighter I've come across." She could tell he was down right awed by what the dark haired man could do.

Ambrose headed toward his coat without acknowledging the complement. She couldn't tell if he was modest or simply thought his skills weren't as impressive as Jeb did. "I'd be happy to continue this tomorrow if you'd like. I haven't had a good sparing partner in ages."

The young man grinned lopsidedly. "That'd be great."

Behind him Wyatt's lip twitched. She and Az had sunk to the floor over two hours ago and had been chatting over inconsequential things as they watched. Most of the talking had come from Az who had kept her entertained with a number of stories over 'Glitch's' failed experiments and her dealings with an assorted variety of idiotic politicians. They rose to their feet and she stretched her back as the men headed toward them.

"You ready for lunch?" The Tin Man was apparently not about to let her miss a meal again now that he knew she went rather long stretches without eating. She nodded as they left and headed toward her rooms. Behind them Az was teasing Ambrose about his state of disarray and he laughed as she whispered something in his ear.

"Deeg, we'll see you later. I need to go check and see what mother is planning to do with the emerald." Turning her head over her shoulder she smiled, pleased she didn't have to deal with that. "Mr. Cain, Jeb, it was a very nice morning. I quite enjoyed the show." With that and an impish grin the couple turned down a side hall and vanished.

Once in the family wing she requested some food be brought up for them before retreating to the relative safety of her suite. A few minutes later and they had a small lunch while Jeb got his second wind and started raving about what he had learned. She smiled at his enthusiasm, glad that she had suggested getting the advisor to teach him something.

After eating three sandwiches, which disappeared faster than she had thought possible, Jeb stood and headed toward the door. "Is it alright if I explore by myself?"

She shrugged. "Sure. I don't think anyone will bother you but if they ask tell them you're in my party. If they give you more trouble than that, have them go to the head steward, I made sure he knew who you were."

"Thanks, Deeg."

She smiled tentatively up at him, surprised and pleased he had used her nickname. "You're welcome. Have fun. If you like to read there's a library on the second floor." With a wave he left closing the door behind him. "It's too bad he can't go outside. It's pretty here when you can actually see."

In response Wyatt dragged her into his lap and kissed her long and slow. She melted against him as his lips caressed hers and his hands wandered slowly over her back and sides. When he moved away at last she stared up into his open blue eyes. "What am I goin' to do with you, Darlin'?"

His question confused her and she twined her arms around his neck as she tilted her head up at him. "Do with me?"

Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek he rumbled. "I'm too far gone to let you go and you're not stayin' here after this mage business is over." His lips found hers again as shock rippled through her. How did he know she wanted to leave? That she had no intention of staying with her family? It was true she wasn't close to her parents but her near obsession over keeping her sister safe should have thrown him off the trail. "So I find myself in a bit of a quandary. Where are you heading once this is finished?"

She sighed and began playing with the collar of his shirt as she told him something even Raw didn't know. "I was going to go to the Otherside."

He started under her, his whole body stiffening as he tightened his hold on her. "You were plannin' on slippin' over?" She knew it was drastic. To even mention something like that was nearly unheard of. Not only was it difficult to move between worlds, the likelihood of anyone finding her, or of her getting back, were slim at best. There was enough knowledge about dimensional storms to know that it was practically impossible to open them from the Otherside unless an extreme amount of magic was used. Even finding someone that had slipped over was a challenge for a very gifted viewer. Shrugging she traced the top button on his shirt with her finger.

"I want…" She struggled silently for a moment. "I want a real life. One where no one knows who I am." Losing her nerve she looked down. "I want to be able to be me. I can't stay at court pretending to be something I'm not. I can't stay alone on the coast anymore. A normal life doesn't seem bad when you're stuck with a gift you can't control and a family that doesn't want you."

Hugging her against him he whispered quietly in her ear. "I want you."

She kissed his jaw. "I got that impression last night."

Leaning back he looked her dead in the eye as he brushed her hair away from her face. "Come away with me."

She searched his eye. He was being sincere. This was completely insane. She knew it was. She hadn't known this man for three weeks and she was seriously contemplating leaving with him? Living with him? Despite all that she knew, _knew_, it was right. She had never felt anything _more_ right in her entire life. It scared her a little. "For how long, Wyatt? Where would we go?"

"For as long a you'll stay with me." She could see him wondering how long she would. "We can go anywhere in the O.Z. you want, but I can't slip over with Jeb here." She could understand that. He wouldn't be who he was if he could leave his son so easily.

Moving to him she pressed her mouth against his for a long moment before breaking the kiss. "I'd like that."

He let out a relieved sigh and wrapped his arms around her as he stood them up. "Good. I would miss you somethin' terrible if you left like that."

Her heart contracted and she rubbed her head against his neck. "I'd miss you too." That confession was so quiet she wasn't sure he heard her until he began backing her toward the bedroom with a soft growl. His kisses turned from warm to hot as he closed the bedroom door behind them with is booted foot.

"It's been too long since I was inside you, Sweetheart." Her entire being reacted to that as she was propelled toward the bed. She wasn't sure what was causing her to heat up more, his words, his hands on her body, or the heartfelt request to run of with him. Whatever it was she didn't try to fight it. For the first time in as long as she could remember, maybe ever, she let herself open up to everything she was feeling without thinking about what her reactions to her emotions might be. It was freeing. She could still breathe, and as he rolled her onto the bed the one thing she felt most was a wonderful sense of being home again.

Author Note: What type of bait should I use in my trap? Hmmmm…. Leave me one!


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: The Tin Man trap is now set and waiting to catch a few characters.

Stretching her out beneath him he kissed the palm of her hand as a low sigh fell from his lips. Relaxing under him she allowed him to stroke her over her clothes with his warm hands. When he reached the side of her breast she pressed into his hand and he paused in his slow downward journey. Cupping her with amazing gentleness she mewled quietly as he flicked her nipple. Rumbling softly he lowered his head to the base of her neck and kissed her skin.

Unable to keep her hands off him any longer she began to stroke her fingers through his hair and down to the base of his neck. He must have liked that because he squeezed her breast more firmly and began to nudge the small buttons at the top of her blouse with his nose. Warmth began to pool in her stomach as he managed to get her top to start to come apart. "You have the loveliest skin." His voice against her skin sent pleasant tingles through her body. "So soft." His lips trailed lower. "So warm."

He propped himself up so he could unbutton the rest of her shirt with his hand. Once the shirt was loose he spread it open and exposed her skin. His eyes swept over her appreciatively and her hands rubbed with increasing familiarity down his arms until they were over his.

"Wyatt." Her voice was husky with arousal, which only spiked at the thought of staying like this with him for as long as she wanted, with the promise that he wouldn't leave.

He hovered over her as he answered teasingly. "Yes, Deeg?"

She moved his hands back to her ribs her fingers fluttered over his wrists. "Don't stop."

He gave her a heated smile and kissed her until she couldn't think straight. "I wasn't plannin' on it, Sweetheart." He rubbed his whiskered cheek against hers as he continued. "I was only enjoyin' the view." She kissed the side of his face and ran her fingertips over his skin, pleased with the compliment.

"That feels wonderful." Surprised by the verbal response she ran her hands down under the collar of his shirt. He hummed at her gentle touch. Nibbling on her earlobe he rubbed closer against her before catching her by surprise. Scooping his hand under her he flipped them over so she was on top of him. Glancing down at him he placed his hands on her waist and thrust his hips up into her as he ground her against him. Eyes on his she started rocking against him as he guided her into a steady rhythm. She felt him harden between them and felt a spike of pride at causing him to react that way.

Reaching up he tugged her shirt down her arms and tossed it over the side of the bed. "That's better." His hands went to the top of her pants and unbuttoned them quickly. "You do love lookin' at you in pants. Still, I think I like you better out of them." With that he rolled them back over, and standing up, tugged her to the edge of the bed.

Taking hold of the dark fabric he tugged them off of her and they fell on top of her blouse followed closely by her underwear. His eyes flashed with want and she sat up reaching for his shirt. She found it terribly unfair that he was still in his clothes and she wasn't. He helped her remove his own clothes, and before she could scoot back on the bed, he had grabbed her thighs and pulled her legs over the edge as he kneeled down on the floor.

Her eyes shot uneasily to his but he rubbed a calloused hand over her stomach as he hushed her. "This'll feel good too." His other knee sank into the soft carpet while he continued to touch her, though his hold on her leg loosened considerably. "Is this alright or no?" He waited patiently; though she could feel him shaking as his control began to slip.

She considered his question for a few seconds before nodding. She knew he wasn't going to hurt her and while she was unsure of what he was doing she trusted him. Growling softly the hand that was on her stomach moved to her lower back and tilted her up as he pressed his body between her legs spreading her open. Feeling more exposed than she had before she started to quiver as his eyes jumped heatedly over her body before finding her eyes. "Let your feet rest on the floor and lay back, Darlin'." His voice was gruff with want and she did as he said as he helped her back on the bed.

As soon as she was positioned to his liking he dragged her closer and thrust into her slowly. She arched sharply and he moved his free hand to her knee to keep her foot flat on the ground as she tried to draw him in closer. When he bottomed out his hand left her back and ran up the length of her body as he held himself still inside her. She heard him mutter to himself as he teased her skin. "So tight…"

She studied him as he pulled out and pushed back in, his fingers tracing teasing patterns over her stomach and ribs. Seeing him disappearing into her as she felt it made her moan and his blue eyes dilated as he watched her watching them. She flushed at the intensity of his gaze feeling embarrassed and he grabbed her hips, pressing more snugly into her.

"You're allowed to look." His voice was so low she barely recognized it. He started moving against her in earnest as his voice broke over her. "I know I like to." She quivered as he filled her, clenching around him as a wave of lust slammed into her. He groaned and his hand began sneaking down her body to find the bundle of nerves that set her on fire.

She gasped and grabbed his hand before he could touch her there as she bucked back against him. The sensations were coming close to overwhelming her. "Please…" She was panting as he moved inside her. "It's too much."

He growled, and twisting his hand, managed to get hers under his. Dragging them both down to her center he brushed her own fingers through her curls as he bottomed out inside her again. She let out a pleading cry that he ignored. "It's only too much if you fight it." She squeezed her eyes shut and gasped. "Stop struggling, Deeg. Nothings going to hurt you here." His voice was ragged and she was too distracted to figure out how he managed to put sentences together at the moment. "Fall for me." Her strangled scream filled the room as she exploded. She heard him groan as he stilled inside her, holding her so hard she was almost sure there would be bruises.

Still quaking from her orgasm she felt him pull out of her and pick her up so he could put her fully on the bed before he climbed over her. Hooking her knees under his arms he stretched her legs up and was back in her before she had regained her senses. Whimpering shamelessly as he began to thrust harder she felt herself spiraling up a second time and wasn't sure she could take it. Her hands slipped against his chest as she tried to hold onto something and he grunted. She moaned his name and he turned his head, kissing her leg. "Tilt your hips up, Sweetheart."

Doing as he said she caught hold of his sides and practically sobbed his name as he rubbed that place inside her that made her break from the inside out. One more thrust was all it took to send her over the edge a second time and she went stiff as she moaned loudly. He pushed as deep into her as he could before letting go and warmth spread out inside her. He cried her name into her hair as his rigid body trembled before going limp over hers. She was shaking badly as he let her legs fall to the side and eased out of her before collapsing half on her and half on the mattress.

She felt so incredibly raw after that she simple couldn't stop trembling even after her breathing leveled out. Her fingers tightened around his bicep and he crooned at her. "It's ok." He used his arm to cradle her against him. His lips landed gently on hers briefly before he met her eyes. "It'll get easier to let yourself go."

Amazed that he seemed to understand that she wasn't used to allowing herself to feel anything she nodded shakily and curled into him as she tried to calm down. He twisted so they were spooned against each other and tucked her head under his chin. She stroked his hand with hers as she tried to untangle the mass of emotions she was feeling. His body was slack against hers and he let her turn his hand over so she could trace the lines over his palm.

After a few minutes she thought she could probably talk without freaking out on him. She knew where she wanted to go if they managed to live through the eclipse. "Will you take me to your house in Central City?"

He chuckled and tightened his hold on her. "I offer to take you anywhere in the Outer Zone and you want to go to my house?"

Her eyes were glued to his hand as she stilled, feeling uncomfortably. "We can go somewhere else." She kept her voice neutral. She hadn't thought he would mind taking her there but reconsidered that immediately. He had lived there with his family, with his late wife; maybe he didn't want to share that part of his life with her. She couldn't really blame him for it either. She knew absolutely nothing about his past. She had no idea when he had lost his spouse, or how, or why he had decided to retire from the police force. It wasn't her place to nose in on that.

"I'd be right pleased to take you there." He rubbed his jaw against the top of her head. "I figured you'd want to go somewhere a bit more exotic."

Her lip twitched as she continued to memorize the pattern of his hand. "Like where? The ocean? Been there, done that." He laughed against her back. "We could go visit the viewers if you wanted to. They'd like you."

"Hmmmm." His hand finally moved and he twined his fingers with hers. "I think I'd like to keep you to myself for a week or two first. Besides, I could teach you to cook in a proper kitchen at my house."

She elbowed him lightly and he grunted. "Don't mock my culinary skills."

"Deeg, you don't have any skills for me to mock in the particular area."

She let out an indignant exclamation and turned over so she could tackle him. He started laughing as she ended up over him and attacked. "Lies!" She poked his ribs mercilessly.

Catching her hands he yanked her down against him with a grin. "You keep wigglin' like that and the last thing on your mind is going to be cooking."

She flushed and he chuckled as he caught her lips. "Sweet thing." She buried her face in his neck and kissed his salty skin. He splayed his hand out over her back and all his muscles relaxed. She turned her head and kissed his jaw before propping herself on his chest and finding his lips again. She felt a lot more comfortable around him than she had before and didn't try to distract him from complimenting her. Besides, she knew he meant them.

His fingers rubbed her back a few times and she smiled down at him. She opened her mouth to say something when she felt magic tingle down her spine. Her eyes fell to half-mast as she shivered at the contact. Unlike the dark magic she had been feeling this was pure light. It felt like the rays of the sun on her already warm skin and she recognized the feeling even if she had never sensed it from a distance before. Her odd reaction must have startled the Tin Man below her because he shifted and tilted his head at her.

"Deeg?" She pushed off him slightly as she tried to isolate the magic signature. It was on a lower level but it was heading toward her. The emerald was reacting to the fact that it was going to be with her, it always reacted that way with people in her family. "Deeg, what is it?"

"The emerald." She had fallen into a daze. "I haven't felt it since before I got Kara's gift." She tightened her grip on his bare shoulder. "It's so strong. I can't… focus."

His eyes searched her hazy ones and he sat them up. "Let's get dressed, Deeg."

She allowed him to get her out of bed, and working to clear her mind as Raw had taught her, struggled back into her clothes. Cain was re-adjusting his holster as the emerald entered the family wing and she swayed badly. His arms wrapped around her and held her against him as she regained her balance. "Are you all right?"

"Sorry." She was beating her extra sense back with all her will power. She started to panic because she couldn't control herself. "I'm sorry. I'm trying."

"It's not your fault. Take a breath." She nodded as he rubbed her side soothingly. Once she was more stable he loosened his grip. "What's it doin' to you?"

"I think it's saying hello."

His voice was incredulous. "You're kidding."

"Nope." She swayed again as her sarcasm escaped her. "It's nice that mother is bringing it straight to me." She was pretty sure this was going to be a problem. "I'm not going to have time to adjust to it." This wasn't the best thing that could have happened at the moment.

"You didn't act this way with the mage." He sounded worried.

"Sure I did. I started feeling his magic a month before I got back. I had time to get used to it snapping at me while I waited to come back."

"Snappin' at you?" There was a note of horrified fascination in his voice.

"That's what his magic feels like. The emerald feels more like someone spinning me in circles."

"You have a strange gift." She laughed even as she held onto his shoulders to keep her balance. "How long is it goin' to take you to get your balance back?"

"I don't know. Maybe an hour?" She thought about that as he began to lead her toward the sitting room. "It really likes me."

"The emerald _likes_ you?" He sat her down in a chair and crouched down in front of her.

"It's a lot like a puppy. It knows who's a Gale and has this crazy loyalty to my bloodline. It hasn't seen me in a while. It's, well, excited I guess. Especially with so many of us together at once"

He sighed. "I suppose it's better for you to get adjusted to it now than when we get attacked."

That was kind of true she supposed. "Except for the whole banishment thing when mother realizes my magic is lancing out of me."

"She can tell that?"

She nodded as she closed her eyes and tried to focus. "If she gets close enough." She sucked in a steadying breath as she tried to get her magic to settle down. "I think I can fool her for a few minutes."

"We'd best make this a fast meetin' then." His eyes flicked to the door. She thought that was rather optimistic on his part. He honestly had no idea who her mother was if he thought this was going to be easy to deal with. There was a knock on her door and she got up as quickly as she could as she struggled into her princess persona. He stood up in front of her and caressed her face with his knuckles before walking over to the door. She really couldn't wait until they left together.

Author Note: Queen confrontation! Woohoo!


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Still waiting for the trap to work… I guess that means Tin Man isn't mine yet.

As soon as he opened the door the queen floated into the room, her violet eyes sweeping over him before resting on her daughter. Deeg had gone rigid. Her spine was straight as a board and her shoulders were stiff. If he hadn't seen the occasional flash of dizziness in her eyes he wouldn't have know the emerald was practically smashing its magic into her. Her blue eyes flickered to the relic in question before she faced her mother.

"Dorothy." The queen's voice was smooth as she stood in the middle of the room and watched her daughter. He had never experienced such a sense of dismissal in his life. Apparently he wasn't worth the queen's time. He felt a surge of anger but tamped it back afraid he would prolong this more than necessary. They needed to get the woman out of here as soon as possible or Deeg might collapse.

"Yes, Mother?" Her voice was polite and emotionless. He noticed her body weight shift and was almost afraid to know why she was easing into a fighting position. He wasn't sure what Deeg was picking up on but she wasn't even trying to act harmless as she usually did when her mother was present. Maybe it was the fact that she knew she couldn't blend into the wall or disappear behind someone that had her reacting the way she was.

"I'll be giving the emerald to Azkadilla before the mage comes."

"Ok." Deeg didn't sound surprised or bothered by this fact. In fact she seemed relieved by the information. "It'll help keep her safe."

Her mother nodded and walked to the window before turning her head slightly. "It will boost her magic levels." Unease swept through him. Her body language wasn't matching up with her words and he was reacting to it. He fought the urge to put his hand on his gun at the threat toward his girl. He knew how dangerous a mage could be, and while he seriously doubted the queen would harm Deeg with her magic his instincts were cracking at the thought.

Meanwhile the Kid's eyes never left the queens as she nodded hesitantly. "Yes, I know."

The queen was still as a statue as she spoke. "Your sister was quite upset before the mage attacked us in Central City. I have to say she hasn't calmed down since then."

He shut the door silently and waited as Deeg kept herself calm. He wanted to tell her she was being slowly backed into a corner, he'd interrogated enough people to know that much, but she seemed to be aware of the fact already. "She does seem to be in a temper."

The queen pressed her lips together. "At first I'll admit I was annoyed. After all I told you very specifically what was expected of you when I allowed you to come home." He frowned as the girl's eyes flickered. He had seen, even if the queen hadn't, the sadness in them. "Until I started listening to her."

"I'm sorry?" Deeg was trying to gain a grasp on where the conversation was heading.

"What did you tell your sister?" The queen pivoted slowly and took a step closer to her daughter. "Whatever it was wasn't what you told us." Purple eyes were trying to suck an answer out of her.

"I only told her I asked not to be sent away." She wasn't lying but she was holding something back. "I didn't tell her anything you didn't know." His jaw tightened as he pictured her 'asking' not to leave.

The queen moved closer as her eyes narrowed slightly. "Then I suppose the question is what didn't you tell her? Or us for that matter."

"What?" She had thrown a note of confusion into her voice but he could practically feel her trying to snap back into full focus. She knew she was in serious trouble and could barely keep herself standing, let alone weave her way out of this talk. It had more traps and pitfalls then she could deal with at the moment.

"Why can you sense the mage, Dorothy?" The queen's voice was suddenly as hard as ice as she advanced.

Deeg shook her head as she lied. "I don't know. I just can."

He knew the queen hadn't bought that for a second. Her voice whipped over her daughter. "You are lying to me again!" The Kid's mask cracked for a moment and he saw anger rising in her.

Suddenly her innocent demeanor vanished. Her eyes hardened and she gathered herself for a flat out assault. "And if I am?" He felt his eyes widen slightly. He hadn't expected her to start fighting. He had figured she would simply keep denying anything was wrong until her mother got frustrated and left. This woman had pushed her once too often. "What are you going to do?"

"You think I will tolerate this kind of behavior? Not only have you blatantly ignore my orders to keep yourself in line you've taken up with a man that is well below your social standing. Do not think I won't stand by my promise to you." Her mother had drawn herself up as anger flashed across her. He saw white magic start to spark around the queen of the Outer Zone.

Deeg lit up like a beacon as her temper snapped. Her shouting echoed around the room. "You can go to hell! All you've ever done is tolerate me! I was an afterthought! I will not allow you to threaten me or tell me what I can or cannot do with my life!"

"Dorothy Gale! You will show me the respect I deserve."

The Kid's magic began to fan off of her. It took all his self-control not to flee the room when every hair on his body began to stand on end from the amount of power she was letting out. "I refuse to pretend I have anything but contempt for you! If it hadn't been for me you would be dead! You have no idea what I have done to keep our family safe! You have showed no interest in my life unless it could help you! You want me gone? Fine! Once the mage is dead you wont see me again!"

Violet eyes went cold. "Clearly that would be best for everyone. If you wish to give your life up for no reason-" Her odd eyes flickered over him and he glared defiantly at her. "- then I see no reason to stop you." She turned to leave and Deeg threw a parting shot at her.

"Strong words for a woman that married a no account slipper, Mother." The Kid's face was radiating disdain.

The queen whirled around. "Your father has more than proven his worth."

He wrenched the door open for the monarch. "He's certainly done that well enough." He knew his eyes were ice cold as amethyst orbs really looked at him for the first time. She must have decided he wasn't worth speaking to and left, snapping the door closed behind her with her magic. He shook his wrist as he tried to get the slight pain of the handle being wrenched out of his hand to go away. "I see where you get that temper from."

Her magic vanished and she looked over at him, her eyes lost. It occurred to him that she had never expected to be allowed to stay no matter how hard she tried. That must have been why she had planned to slip over. After all, what would the point in staying really be? The only thing staying in the O.Z. would have accomplished was to remind her of what she wasn't allowed to have, of the family that didn't accept her, and every way she had never belonged.

"I'm sorry, Wyatt." Her voice was soft, a stark contrast to the levels he had just heard it at.

He flexed his fingers as he watched her. "What for?"

"You're not 'no reason'." There was shame in her eyes. "My mother has very poor concept of what worth is."

"I can tell that well enough by the way she talks to you." His protectiveness was out again and he could feel it growling.

Her lips twisted up in a grimace. "That's hardly an excuse to treat you that way. You deserve better than this."

He didn't like the way she had worded that at all. "It doesn't matter. In a few days we'll be able to leave."

Her eyes closed off and he felt fear seep into him as she cut herself off from her emotions again. "And what will you do? You have a son to take care of, Wyatt. My uncle is dead, or will be in two days." Sorrow was practically radiating off her. "You wont have a position with a dead man, and my parents are more than capable of keeping you out of work, especially in Central City. They know who you are."

"Don't start talkin' like that." He was desperate to stop her before she made it much further. "There are plenty of places outside the city that need Tin Men." He shrugged, unconcerned with the prospect of moving. "I wouldn't mind living in the country for a while and you have a pretty unique skill set yourself. It won't be hard to find work."

"And what? You'll pack up and leave all your friends just like that? Leave your home?" Her eyes wandered the room and he edged closer to her. "I never should have gotten you involved in this."

"In what? Your life?"

He was nearly close enough to touch her and her eyes came back to his. She gave him a strained smile. "I'm afraid my life is a bit too complicated. It might be time to simplify it."

In a flash he knew what she was about to do and grabbed her around the waist, yanking her against him. "Don't you dare!" She was going to teleport herself to the mage. He saw it in her eyes.

"Let go!" She twisted in his grasp.

"Not a chance, Deeg." He growled at her as he shoved them toward a wall. She was struggling a lot harder than she had yesterday and he needed to get control of the situation. "If you think I'm going to let you do something that suicidal you're out of your mind." She snarled at him and he barked at her as his temper got the best of him. "Stop it!"

Her eyes were flashing blue fire. "I'm not going to let you ruin your life for me!"

"I'm in love with you! How could you possibly ruin it?" She stopped struggling and stared at him in shock, breathing hard. Damn it. That hadn't come out the way he wanted at all. They stood there with her pressed between him and the wall staring at one another. He was afraid to move or let go of her. He was equally afraid of breaking the quiet. He didn't want to drive her away even more efficiently than he seemed to be. The silence stretched between them and he came to the conclusion that she wasn't going to say anything before he did.

Leaning down he rested his forehead on hers so she couldn't look away from him. "Let me be home for you, Darlin'." Her eyes shimmer slightly and he pressed on hoping to drive his point across. "I can give you that. We can be happy. But you can't go thinkin' that it's goin' to be easy all the time. Life is complicated. I don't mind that the complicated I chose happens to involve the queen and consort if I get you along with it."

"How do you manage to say the right thing all the time?" There was an edge of desperation in her voice. "Wyatt, I don't want to be the reason you might be unhappy later. I can't control my parents, I can't help that I'm a princess, I'm not even sure I can stop this mage. I know that life isn't easy but with me in the mix it's down right crazy. You could find someone else that wouldn't be half as much trouble as me." Her eyes dimmed at that statement.

"I'm not in love with 'someone that's half as much trouble as you'." He pointed out. "'Someone half as much trouble' didn't save my life from a demon or the mage's men. 'Someone half as much trouble' never interested me before, or got my son to accept them. If I'm goin' to have trouble I want the whole mess. That way I know I have to be on my toes all the time. Nothin' can catch me off guard."

Her lips twitched up into a small but genuine smile. "Lucky you then."

He smiled softly back at her and kissed her briefly. "So no doin' anything crazy?"

She sighed in defeat. "Not until he shows up here."

Internally he heaved a sigh of relief. Kissing her again he rumbled deep in his chest and felt her respond to him. Kissing his way across her jaw he found her lips once more before leaning back. "Are you still realin' from that gem?"

She brushed her fingers over his face. "Yeah. I should be ok in a little while."

He hummed and released her from the death grip he'd had on her. "Ok." He didn't want to try anything with her if there was a definite possibility of her falling over on him. "Why don't you call the Furball with that special pack link you share so we can play ruko? Do you have enough focus to do that?"

She smiled happily at the suggestion. "Yes. I'm going to beat you this time."

He chuckled and after nuzzling her neck for a moment he drew back and led her to the couch. He'd never been so pleased to see her smile before. He saw her close her eyes and figured she was calling her friend. When she opened her eyes he put his arm around her shoulder and glanced at the table in front of them. "Deeg?"

"Huh?"

"It's awfully hard to play without any cards."

Her laughter filled the room and she waved her hand. A small ball of light appeared over the table and after a brief moment a deck of cards appeared. "Better?"

He reached over and picked the cards up. Fanning them out he examined them critically. "I don't know. Did you tamper with 'em?"

She sent him a pathetically false look of hurt. "It pains me that you would think I would cheat so obviously."

He huffed at her. "So I should only worry about you cheating in non-obvious ways?"

"That's pretty much right." He rolled his eyes and tickled his fingers down her ribs. She squealed and smacked his hand away. He tossed the cards down and grinned. He was going to have fun teasing her until the Furball showed up.

Author Note: School = AHHHHHHH! Yup, that pretty much sums it up.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Shhhh… something is circling the trap. Don't scare it off!

Once Raw got to her suite he felt her relax further and hummed as he absently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. For a time he thought she forgot all about the fight with her mother as they played cards and Raw told him a story about Deeg ending up stuck thigh deep in mud.

"That was Kalm's fault Raw! I told you that at least five times."

He raised an eyebrow. That was the most pathetic defense he had ever heard "Are you trying to tell me that was a child's fault?"

"Uh, yeah! It was his idea to play!"

He tried to make the connection between playing tag and ending up in a mud puddle that must have been huge. He wasn't getting much. "And somehow that equates to you running headlong into mud?"

She huffed at him. "It's not like I meant to!"

"You ran into a giant mud lake on accident? How could you not see it?"

"Hey, you weren't even there! It wasn't a lake!" She must have decided that was an adequate explanation because she sent him a smug smile and put her cards face up on the table. "I told you I was going to beat you!" He stared down at the table and tossed his cards down with smirk as she began to wiggle her upper body in what he supposed was a victory dance. She really did know how to tease him without meaning to. If Deeg was going to do that every time she won he'd never let himself beat her.

Raw sighed and pretended to be sad. "Should not have taught to play. Now Raw never win again."

She laughed at her friend. "That's what you get for telling stories about me."

"Only fair. Took Raw hours to get mud off Kalm."

"You should have known better than to let him go after you got him clean the first time."

Deeg said this in such a matter of fact way that a burst of laughter erupted from him.

"She's right you know." Raw cast him a look. "Never let a boy go near a bunch of mud."

The viewer grumbled as they ganged up on him. "Things Raw knows _now_. Sister's son did not come with instructions." He glanced discretely over at Deeg to see if talking about Kara bothered her but she was unconcerned as she gathered the cards back together and started shuffling them with sure hands.

"I don't think any of 'em come with those."

She grinned over at him mischievously. "You say that like Jeb may have given you some trouble."

"He sure gave me a run for my money for a while." He shuddered in mock fear. "The teenage years are a trial of endurance."

Raw laughed and Deeg look like she wanted to say something but when he caught her eyes she simply smiled at him and began dealing. He quirked his eyebrow up as she started organizing her hand and glanced over at the Furball who shook his head slightly. Now he was curious, but Raw tossed the first card down and met his eyes. His brown one's clearly told him 'later' so he pushed the question away for another time.

They were nearly done with the round; he only needed one more card to beat Deeg, when his son wandered back into the room amidst their light-hearted banter. She smiled over at him. "Find anything to do?"

"The library was pretty fun." He sat down in a chair next to the sofa they were sitting on. "It's awfully quiet here though. Is the palace always this empty?"

She hummed out a distracted answer as she drew a card. "Unless there's some big traditional council meeting. This isn't a huge tourist destination. The weather is too erratic."

"Ugg." His son grimaced at that answer. "How did you stop yourself from going crazy when you lived here?"

She glanced up at him in a perplexed kind of way. "What do you mean?"

"Weren't you bored?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I like to read and to be honest I haven't been here since I was about fourteen. My family stays in Central City most of the time."

"I thought you just got back to the city?" He flinched at Jeb's blunt question. He didn't want him upsetting Deeg on accident.

"Jeb." He used the quiet tone he always had when teaching his son manners. It was a simple way of letting him know he had miss-stepped without making him feel as if he had done something wrong. His son glanced over at him slightly startled. He doubted he had guided his son back in line that way in at least two years.

Deeg sensed the change between them and shifted uneasily. She glanced up at his face and then at his son. Her eyes clearly conveyed that she didn't mind him asking but he had thrown her as badly off balance as he had Jeb. Now she wasn't sure if he wanted her to keep quiet or if he had been getting Jeb to leave her alone. He felt like an idiot. The Furball managed to break the awkward pause. "DG at coast with western tribe."

"Oh." Jeb was still trying to figure out what had happened. He had been too young to remember the stories that had gone on about the Kid after her disappearance, or the stories that cropped up prior to it. He had also been dealing with the loss of his mother. That had pushed pretty much everything else out of his life for a while.

Deeg glanced at Raw who gave her a slight nod. "Raw's people live near the Whitefall Bluffs. Have you seen them?"

"A few months ago I went past them. I didn't know there was a tribe by them."

"No one really does." She sent him a smile. "Looks like you're in on the secret now." He stilled and stared over at the Furball who simply stared back. He wasn't sure his son knew what had happened but he sure did. They had been accepted as pack friends. That may happen more often than being adopted into a tribe did but it was a rare honor. Deeg caught his hand and squeezed it once before letting go, her eyes still on his son. "Do you want to play?" She held up the deck of cards.

"Sure." He dragged the chair closer to the table and sat back down as he swept the cards she gave him up. Afternoon faded to evening and Raw left for a few minutes to request food before coming back in and stretching out as he glanced out the window. He had his arm around the Kid and was playing with the ends of her hair as she asked Jeb about his travels around the O.Z.

"DG." The Furball's low snarl had his head twisting around, as he cut off Jeb mid-sentence.

"What is it?" Her attention was immediately focused on her friend.

"Raw not know." He glanced over at her with worry. "Strong feelings from mage. Can't see."

Her eyes snapped closed and she let her head tilt up as she shimmered softly with her light. There was a minute of silence before she let out a small choking noise and nearly toppled off the couch. He managed to catch her and tried to sit her back up only to have her shove his arms away from her as she bolted toward the bedroom with her hand over her mouth. He stood to go after her as alarm flashed through him and the Furball let out a low sigh. "Leave alone for now." He sounded… apologetic.

"Sweetheart?" His eyes flew between the viewer and the bedroom as he heard the door to the bathroom slam shut. "What happened?" Jeb was standing now as well and he seemed equally as likely to go after Deeg.

"DG sick. Felt too much." His brown eyes had darkened in sorrow. "Grieving."

"Griev-" He cut himself off with a sharp breath. "The mage killed him?" His voice was sharp with bitter rage.

The viewer nodded. "Did not know. Would not have asked to use magic." There was a rushing between his ears as he tried to deal with the loss of his friend. He had known it was more than probably that he wasn't going to see the duke alive again but that didn't make knowing any easier. He rubbed his temples and let out a frustrated grunt.

His mind had gone still as he processed this and a thought occurred to him. He needed to keep her safe. "We can't let her parents know she's the one that found out."

Raw stared at him in a calculating way. "DG tell secret." Then the viewer started toward the hall. "Will tell them Raw felt. Will believe it is part of gift. Eclipse begins day after tomorrow. Mage took advantage of timing. Will have more time to adjust this way."

He nodded as the Furball left and Jeb moved closer to him. "I don't understand. Who's dead? How does she know? And why does it matter that Deeg knew first?"

"The duke's been killed so the mage can harness his magic." His voice was gruff with hidden emotion.

His son gripped his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

He pulled his son into a one armed hug. "It's not your fault." After a minute he let Jeb go. "I can't tell you why it matters but don't let it out that Deeg knew first."

His son searched his face and nodded. "Alright." He glanced over his shoulder toward her room. "You'd better go check on her. I'll see you in the morning?" He hated that Jeb understood loss so well.

He caught his son's arm. "For breakfast."

He nodded and followed the viewer's path out of the room. He took a minute to compose himself before walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind him and headed toward the bathroom. He knocked softly on the lightly colored wood. "Darlin'?"

The door cracked open and he pushed it in to see Deeg sitting in the far corner between the tub and the wall. She was curled up with her head against her knees and her hands over her head. He crouched down in front of her and put his hand on her leg. She looked up at him with glimmering blue eyes. "Are you ok?" Her voice was watery with unshed tears.

He let out a sigh and sat down next to her. "No, and neither are you." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and urged her head against his chest.

Deeg turned her body without uncurling and pressed against him. "He was your friend."

"He was your uncle." He stroked her back and pressed his forehead against the crown of her head. It made him feel better to touch her. A small whimper escaped her and she tried to get closer to him. He didn't stop her. Instead he leaned back as he placed her in his lap so her head could rest under his chin. "I'm sorry, Deeg." His voice was hoarse and the moment he spoke he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He didn't want to think about what she had felt with her magic. He didn't want to think about the duke dying alone. He thought about it anyway.

The only thing he could think to do was hold her as his mind went blank with loss. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. He hadn't wanted to feel this way again. "He knew I could feel it." His heart went cold at her hushed words. "He waited until I was right there once he knew I was watching him."

That was it. He was going to kill that man. He didn't care what it took or how long. If he had the slightest chance he wasn't going to waste it. His rage swept a lot of the grief away, though he knew it would come back to find him later. He kissed her forehead and put his palm flat against her face when she began to tremble. "Hush, Sweetheart. It's over now." She took several deep breaths as he continued to speak to her. "He won't last long once he gets here and that'll be the end of it."

She nodded against his shoulder and tried to relax. "I need to tell my parents what happened. I need to tell Az." He heard a note of despair in her voice as she began to sit up. For the first time since they met he was fairly certain she wasn't thinking about keeping her secret. He was sure she hadn't even thought about what to say to her parents when they asked her how she knew what she did. He was also aware that somewhere between the duke's death and her flight to the bathroom she had forgotten her mother had banished her from court.

He urged her back against him and tangled his hand into her hair. "Raw's already gone to tell 'em. We thought it would be best to say he's the one that felt it."

"Oh." He felt a hard shiver run down her whole body. "I wasn't thinking."

"Don't worry about it right now." He continued to run his hands through her hair. "Let Raw take care of it." She sighed and he knew, even with the loss, that it wasn't in her nature to let other people take care of things for her. It was a sign of how upset she was that she didn't argue.

"Wyatt?" He hugged her and waited. "Can we go lay down on the bed?"

He was amazed she even thought she had to ask. "Anything you want, Deeg." He helped ease her to her feet and she took his hand and helped pull him off the cold floor. She didn't let go of his hand as they walked silently back into her room and she crawled under the blankets. He kissed her knuckles before letting go long enough to kick off his boots and set his holster and gun on the table.

As soon as he was done he lifted the blankets and slipped next her. Turning her back to him she took hold of his hand again and placed it over her stomach as she pressed against him. He held her close and tossed one of his legs over hers. Deeg shivered again and pressed her face into the pillow. He couldn't tell if she was fighting the tears back or if the hurt was too new and deep for them to fall at all.

It took her nearly ten minutes to break the silence. "You were right to want to come here." He stared at the back of her head but she started talking again before he could ask her anything. "I won't be able to stop him by myself." Her voice had taken on a thoughtful quality.

"That's fine. Your mother and sister can help."

"It's not them I need to help me." He went still at the conviction she was displaying. "At least not anymore." His eyebrows drew together. What did she mean 'anymore'? They hadn't done anything to help at all.

"Anymore?"

"They brought me the emerald." The Kid had to be out of her mind. That thing had nearly knocked her out not five hours ago. "I won't need anything else." That's when he heard it. Barely there under the quiet words, was pure, righteous fury. He didn't want to think about how she was going to get it away from her mother. Because he knew, by listening to her, that the queen would be taken down in a heartbeat if his girl didn't get what she wanted this time.

Author Note: The big fight is coming… I'm getting excited again! I would also like to thank you guys for all the reviews! You know who you are! Big cyber huggles!


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Oooo. I think I caught something!

She woke up abruptly for no reason that she could identify. Searching the room she noted that darkness had fallen some time ago and all she could feel was a peculiar numbness overtaking her senses. She almost wished she had felt this way when she had been sent to the coast before she reconsidered. Thinking about it she wasn't sure if this was really all that much better. She heard Wyatt breathing against her, and feeling his absent touches, knew he was still awake. She wanted to know how long she had been sleeping, or at least how long he had been awake and thinking about what had happened to his friend.

Before he even knew she had woken back up she was moving. Gripping the Tin Man's hand a little more tightly she slid it up to her lips and kissed his fingers softly. As unnerving as it had been the last time they had been together, feeling so much at once, that was suddenly exactly what she wanted. Anything to drive the cold out of her.

He shifted behind her and she rolled around in his arms so she could kiss him. His arm came down and pressed all the way down her back as he let her explore his mouth. When he pulled away, she caught a glimpse of a terrible sadness in his eyes, before he sat them up and tugged her shirt up and over her head. She lifted her arms as the fabric was thrown over the side of the bed. She didn't register him move before his mouth was against her chest and sucking hard.

She gasped as her body practically caught fire. Grabbing his short hair she held him against her and he hissed softly as he jerked her hard against his body. There was nothing gentle about the way he was touching her this time. He nipped sharply at the skin above her breast and she gasped, scratching her nails down his scalp. He rumbled deep in his chest and warmth began to penetrate the numbness. Catching the middle of his shirt she ripped at it urgently and heard the sound of fabric tearing and snapping buttons. He growled in annoyance and gripped the back of her neck, holding her still, as he bit the slope of her neck. She cried out at the sharp pain and then his tongue was over the spot and soothing it away.

She was breathless with want and threw her leg over his lap as she undulated against him. Catching her hips he ground her against him without restraint and she threw her head back as she gripped his shoulders. His lips were everywhere they could reach before he had enough of them teasing each other and tossed her backward over the blankets. Grabbing at the top of her pants he unhooked them and stripped them off her as fast as he could. As soon as she was naked he pulled off his own ruined shirt as she sat back up and grabbed for his trousers.

She must not have been going as fast as he wanted, hell they weren't going as fast as she wanted, as she fumbled with his belt buckle because he untangled her fingers and took care of the problem himself. He got off the bed briefly to rid himself of the last of his clothing before he was over her again. His eyes were nearly black except for a rim of silver around his pupils. She moaned at his dominating presence and caught the back of his head, dragging him back against her. He pressed back against her until all she could do was arch backward as he loomed over her.

Sliding his hand under her back he sat back on his knees and flipped her over on her stomach. She let out a startled gasp as he grabbed her hips and tugged her back toward him. "Spread your legs." His voice was low and dark as he pressed against her bottom. Excitement lanced through her body at his curt order and she found herself responding to this new commanding side of the Tin Man. His hands were holding her against him and she put her hands under her and pushed up as she did what he said.

One of his hands stroked up her spine then back down before he held her and thrust into her from behind. She choked on a moan as he slid all the way in and he groaned. She clenched around him on impulse and his grip on her tightened as he pulled out and shoved back into her hard. Crying out at the pressure she gripped the sheets between her fingers and pushed back against him. As soon as she did one of his hands was between her shoulder blades and he pressed the top half of her body down into the soft blankets.

Small noises began to escape her as he moved and she heard his soft groans in response. It didn't take him long to drive her up in this position, she could feel every part of him, and she started going stiff. Then his hand was between her legs and he pinched her. That one sensation, a cross between pleasure and pain, set her off and she shattered with a scream into the sheets. He pulled her hips tight against him and groaned loudly as he followed her into the abyss.

He slumped over her back, barely managing to catch himself before he crushed her, and ended up across her back and the blankets. She whimpered as he accidentally shoved into her again. He let out a muffled groan as he eased out of her before allowing himself to go limp. Breathing as deeply as she could she lay still as small aftershocks rocked pleasantly from her toes to the top of her head.

For the first time in hours emotions managed to get to her and she pressed her face into the bed to stop herself from crying. And here she thought this would be better, she still wasn't sure. Wyatt pressed his face against the back of her neck as his own breathing shallowed. Without moving her head she found his hand again and twined their fingers together. He kissed her sweaty skin as gently as he ever had before and a tear slipped down her face, hidden by the sheets. That was all she allowed herself right now and she let him go as his one free hand roamed slowly over her body. His hands were caressing the parts of her that weren't covered by him and she didn't know who it was making feel better, him or her. She figured that didn't really matter either.

She twisted her arm down and caught hold of the edge of a stray blanket. Tugging it up Cain helped her wrap them up in it before going back to touching her. Unsure of exactly what had overcome her, or him, she kept silent as his hands helped her stay relaxed.

Eventually one of the waves of emotion hit her harder than the others and a hushed whimpered escaped her. Wyatt kissed the spot he had bitten. "Rest, Sweetheart, I'll be here when you wake up." Nodding she let her body drag her back down and when she woke up found that he hadn't been lying to her.

When she opened her eyes this time she saw muted sunlight had filled the room and the Tin Man was finally asleep behind her. Not wanting to wake him up she kept herself motionless as her mind started working on the best way to get the emerald. It only took her about three minutes to figure that out. She'd need to take care of the details once she was dressed.

Taking hold of Wyatt's arm she tried to sneak out from under him only to have him jump awake and drag her back against him. "What is it?" His voice was sharp as his head swiveled to take in the room as his arm snapped out to grab the butt of his gun.

"I was going to the bathroom. Not a crisis situation." He grunted sleepily and fell back to the mattress.

"Debatable with you." He mumbled.

She shot him an exasperated look that was completely wasted seeing as his eyes had closed. Her own eyes flicked to his arm that was holding her like a vice. At least they were talking again, last night it had felt like they shouldn't. Strange. Grief was still heavy on her heart but it had calmed considerably since last night. Maybe she had already accepted the fact that her uncle wasn't likely to survive the mage, maybe she was used to ignoring her feelings, or maybe the Tin Man just made her feel less isolated. Regardless of what it was she still needed to clean up. "Uhh, Wyatt?" He grumbled and twitched. "You need to let go now."

He didn't loosen his grip. "Can't do that. You'll get away."

She rolled her eyes. "How'd you figure out my plan?"

"You're easy to read." A small laugh left her before she could think about being sad again. He cracked an eye open and smiled softly at her. Kissing her cheek he let her go. "Come back when you're done." When she tilted her head at him he ran a hand over her hair. "I'm not ready to let you go right yet. Jeb won't be here for breakfast for a least another hour."

She kissed his arm and he let her up. Retreating to the bathroom she filled the tub up with warm water. Letting herself soak until the water cooled, she dried her skin off and took her time untangling and drying her hair before walking back into the bedroom wrapped up in her towel. Cain yawned as she sat against the headboard and rubbed one of his calloused hands over her bare leg.

On impulse she scooted closer to him and nudged his arm until he began to get up with a sigh. Before he could sit up fully she placed her hand on his shoulder, above his heart, and guided his head to her towel-covered lap. He peered up at her and she simply ran her fingers over his forehead and into his hair. She wanted to feel him under her hands. "Ok?"

In response he caught her fingers briefly and kissed her knuckles before letting her go. As she worked her fingers through his sleep tousled hair he hummed and his eyes fell closed. One of his arms came up and rested on the side of her thigh as she lulled him into a semi-awake state. This was so… She felt so… She watched him breathing in and out and bit her lip.

Her hands were on autopilot while the thought crashed into her. _He loved her._ He had said that. He had meant that, even if he hadn't meant to say it at the particular moment he had. She tickled a spot behind his ear and he batted at her as his lip twitched. Her hand moved away from his ear and toward the back of his head. Her stomach dropped and she acknowledged the 'so…' that had invaded her life so quickly.

The thing was there was no way she could tell him now. There could not have possibly been a worse time. They had both lost her uncle and that mage was going to try to kill her tomorrow. What if he did? She would hate to die and leave Wyatt with nothing but the thought that he had somehow lost someone else that loved him back. She knew him well enough now to know he would blame himself for it. Would telling him be worse than not telling him? She didn't know. She thought it might be.

She needed to talk to Raw because she was having serious problems trying to understand what was going on in her own head. She had never in her life felt such a strong attachment to anyone alive. Not her parents, not her sister, not even Raw who had literally been inside her head. It was like the Tin Man had managed to literally crawl into her soul, the way Kara had. That couldn't possibly be right. How had he done that?

"Deeg?" Her eyes flew down to his and found him staring up at her intently. His pale eyebrows came together and he reached up to touch her face. "Your breathing changed."

She simple stared at him. He could tell when her emotions shifted by how she was breathing? Her eyes searched his as her fingers continued to run over his scalp. She forcefully turned her thoughts away from where they had been. "I was thinking."

His eyes flickered. "Good things?" Her hand stilled as his blue eyes pinned her in place.

Smiling down at him she tried to be as honest as she could considering she wasn't entirely sure about that. "Mostly." His knuckles caressed her cheek and he turned his head so he could kiss her thigh.

He hummed at her and her fingers started moving again as he relaxed back into her touch. He didn't try to make her elaborate. He had simply accepted the fact that she didn't want to go into further detail at the moment. Her heart hammered again. She really needed to find her viewer.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before she broke the silence. "When is Jeb coming?"

Fingers tickling her leg he answered. "A few minutes. I suppose I should get cleaned up."

"Unless you want us to entertain him in a sheet and a towel."

He chuckled. "That might scar him." He sat up regretfully and kissed her before gathering up his clothes. He raised an eyebrow at his mangled shirt and she blushed. With a wave of her hand a set of the clothes she had seen in his room yesterday appeared at the end of the bed. His lip twitched as he twisted his head around to look at her. "You're right handy to have around."

"It would appear so." With a shake of his head he set his rumpled clothes on the edge of the bed in favor of the clean set she had brought to him. As he started toward the bathroom she called to him. "I'm going to get dressed and go talk to Raw. I'll be back in time for breakfast."

He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "Bring the Furball back with you. I'd like to know what happened after he left yesterday."

She smiled at him and appreciated his walk across the room before heading to her dresser. It took her longer than normal to get dressed because she had to find a blouse that would cover her neck where he had bitten her. She had a small purple bruise forming and really didn't feel like explaining that to anybody. Once she managed to find one she slipped into it and went in search of Raw.

Thankfully he was already awake and in his room. Her magic tingled and she walked into his room without knocking. He was sitting in one of the chairs and meditating and she didn't want to knock him out of his trance. Taking a seat in the chair next to him she curled her legs up against her chest a waited patiently as he finished. Eventually he opened his chocolate eyes and look at her. She felt his gift wrap around her and hugged herself a bit more tightly. "DG feel much today."

A strained laugh fell from her lips and she put her head in one of her hands. "What did I get myself into this time?" She heard her friend rumble quietly and waited. She wasn't sure what to do. It's why she'd come to Raw. She looked up at him pleadingly. "I can't even breathe right. Is this real?"

Author Note: Hit that review button!


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: Creeps toward shaking trap.

Raw stood up so he could get closer to her. Once he was in front of her he crouched down and took both of her hands firmly in his. "What does DG feel?" He stayed still as he watched her patiently.

She gripped his gloved hands a little more tightly as she searched for answers in his calm face. "I don't know. That's why I came to you."

Raw gave her a friendly smile. "Raw is glad DG trusts so much." He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr before he continued. "But Raw cannot tell DG what she is feeling." Anxiety swept through her and he squeezed her hands. "No different than learning to control gift. Must find stillness inside. Must have clarity before understanding."

Getting the hint she closed her eyes and fell into the closest thing she could to a trance. It was beyond her ability to extend all parts of her awareness outward, as a true viewer could, but Raw had taught her to find a quiet place inside herself so she could see more clearly. It had helped her control her emotions immensely as well as differentiate between what she was feeling and what Kara's gift was making her feel. She had enough control now that he didn't have to guide her there anymore. She distantly felt her body loosen and his soft voice flowed over her. "Push away things that don't matter. Then DG will have answer to question."

His hands fell away and she started doing what he had said. She forgot about the mage. She fought back her feelings over her uncle. She stopped thinking about the emerald. And she let go of the anger and hurt her parents caused so very easily. Then she knew. It was a simple as that. A shuddering breath left her as she fought her way back to full awareness. "Oh."

Raw was still in front of her and he nodded slowly in understanding. "DG has chosen mate. Will need to bring back to tribe for approval." She cast him a slightly startled glance. A low laugh erupted from him. "DG is part of pack. Lylo must check mate for safety. Tin Man will be taken in."

Her eyes widened. "Lylo has to adopt him into the tribe?" That wasn't something the viewers took lightly. She had been the first human to be taken into the coastal tribe in almost two hundred years.

The viewer sat back down in his chair. "Mates close. Cannot have mixed loyalty. Part of tribal tradition." She gnawed on her lip anxiously. Raw waved a hand at her unspoken worry. "Cain not have problem. Lylo already knows. Respects."

Her eyebrows drew together. "Come again? How does Wyatt know Lylo?"

"Tin Man that tried to help in Central City. Worked hard to find sister's slayers. Searched many weeks for answers." She went still, completely, and utterly still. "Lylo not like having to deceive. Could not let Cain find clues."

"What?" She stood up and flapped her arms gracelessly. "What!" There was no way that could possibly be true. "Are you telling me he's the one that was searching the warehouse while I was in that alley?" Gods, he could have been killed. He _would_ have been killed if… Raw shrugged and she gaped at him. Then a thought occurred to her. "Sweet Ozma! He knew what I was talking about when I told him what I did?" She was beside herself as thoughts rolled through her.

He had _seen_ what she had done. She had never once thought he could even come close to imagining the type of damage she was capable of creating. He hadn't said anything about it. He hadn't fled in fear? She was fumbling for understanding when a second very important detail occurred to her. Her eyes landed back on her friend. "You knew who he was when we met him in the garage didn't you?" The viewer gave her a sheepish grin. There was no way she was letting him off that easy. "_Raw!_ Why didn't you tell me?"

"DG would have only fought him harder. No point." Her mouth was moving but no words were coming out. Her friend stood back up and patted her head. She drove his furry hands away from her in annoyance. "Upset for no reason. DG happy. Tin Man happy. Jeb Happy. Raw happy." He shrugged. "Lylo will be happy with choice. Time for food."

"Food? You want to eat?" She threw her arms up in defeat. She knew there was no possible way for her to win this argument. "Fine. Let's go get breakfast and pretend this isn't completely insane."

"Not insane. Coincidence."

"Yeah, uhuh, whatever you say." She headed toward the door with an amused viewer behind her. When they made it to her room Jeb was lounging in a chair while Wyatt was focused on a mug of coffee.

Glancing up Jeb grinned at her. "Hey, Deeg. You look better this morning."

Her lip twitched even as she shot a glare at the viewer as he folded himself into another chair and reached for a muffin. "I feel better. Sorry about the fleeing the room thing."

He shrugged as he contemplated a biscuit and a scone that were sitting next to each other on the tray. It must have been a tough choice because he never looked up as he answered her. "No worries. Sometimes you need space."

That was rather astute of him. She suddenly felt pang of sadness for him. It must have been hard for him to loose his mother. She wondered how long ago he had lost her, how old he had been. She wasn't going to ask about it. It wasn't her place and she really thought this was a bad time. It would only upset Wyatt more. She smiled and decided on a piece of toast for herself. Searching the tray she sighed. "Why will they never give me jam?"

The Tin Man chuckled as she began to shove things around as she searched for any flavor of the sweet concoction. Finding none she sat back and munched on the dry toast without further complaint. There was no point. She wasn't about to send a steward down to get her jam. That was ridiculous. She didn't even know where they kept it here and she couldn't call to it if she didn't know where it was to begin with. As she chewed there was a knock on the door. She tried to swallow the bite of bread and saw Raw's lip twitch as he called out for them to come in for her. "Going to choke." He commented with amusement as Ambrose held the door open for her sister.

Her sister had looked better. Her dark eyes were red-rimmed and she had deep circles under them. Waving her hand the love seat scrapped across her floor until it too was in front of the table. Glitch's serious eyes glimmer briefly with amusement as he guided Az to the soft seat she had moved for them. The moment her sister turned she saw the emerald around her neck and repressed the urge to snatch it from her. While it was going to take a certain amount of directness to get it from the heir she doubted pouncing her was the best way to go about it. At least her mother had already handed the gem off. The queen must have been frightened into it when she found out her brother had been killed. She would deal with the fact that her sister was going to be walking around without it later.

"Are you hungry?" She indicated the tray and Ambrose leaned forward to pour a cup of coffee before handing it to her sister who wrapped her slender hands around it as she nodded her thanks. The advisor took an apple for himself and leaned back to stare rather blankly across the room.

Finishing her toast she grabbed a koo fruit and set her plan in motion. "Are you going to teach Jeb anything helpful today, Ambrose?"

Wyatt's eyes darted to her as Raw shifted. The viewer had picked up on the rather devious thoughts running through her. She made no indication she had noticed anything as toffee eyes came back to her. "I wasn't sure anyone was going to be up to a fighting lesson."

She shrugged. "There's no point in sitting around and doing nothing. We might as well be doing something useful." The Tin Man's eyes narrowed at her wording. "He might need to fight tomorrow."

"That's true." The advisor sighed out. "I could teach you to break bones. That would be helpful if you got cornered."

Wyatt set his mug down after meeting her eyes briefly. "Might be better to teach him to incapacitate more than one person at the same time. I'd be able to help you with that. "

Ambrose nodded slowly. "That's a good idea as well." He looked over at Jeb. "What do you think?"

Jeb gave the gangly man a lopsided grin. "Sounds fun."

She suppressed a smug smile as they finished eating. Ten minutes later and all of them were in the weapons room. Wyatt and Ambrose were circling Jeb and it had only taken one strong thought to have Raw drift around as he pretended to look at the blades and armor on display. This left her and her sister conveniently alone on one side of the room. Az sank to the marble floor, and watching her out of the corner of her eye, she slid down next to her. "I can't believe uncle Liam is gone." Her sister's voice was raspy, as if she had been yelling or crying for a long time. She supposed she had been.

She sighed deeply as her grief spiked then leveled out. "I know."

"Poor Raw. To see that and then have to tell us? I thought mother was going to explode." Az had her eyes closed as her head pressed back against the wall.

Preparing herself for what she was about to do she sprang. She figured she didn't have much more to loose now that her mother had kicked her away for good. Turning her head she locked her eyes on her sister's sad face. "Raw's not the one that felt it. He's no good at seeing, he's a healer."

Purple-flecked eyes opened in confusion. "You mean he doesn't know if he's dead? Why would he lie to us?" In front of them Wyatt knocked Jeb to the ground with a quick kick to the back of his knee.

She stopped Az before she could get her hopes up. "He didn't lie. Uncle Liam was murdered." Her own eyes hardened.

"I don't understand."

"I'm the one that saw it, Az."

Her sister's head left the wall. She had her full attention now. "That's impossible."

"Really?" Reaching out quickly she snatched at her sister's hand and let her gift flare hard through their magic. It took her amazingly little effort to drive Az's awareness straight to Central City. Focusing on the palace she practically ground the heir into the wall of dark magic that was built around the throne room like a wall. Her sister wrenched away from her with a shout, snatching her hand away and falling backward.

The fighting lesson stopped abruptly and Raw turned toward them. Az was breathing hard as she scrambled to her feet. She stood up more gracefully as they stared at one another. "How did you do that?" Her sister was breathing hard.

She raised her eyebrow. "You want him dead and gone?" She held her hand out without blinking. "Give me the emerald, Az. I'm stronger than you and mother together. He can't beat me with it."

"The emerald?" She'd thrown her sister badly off balance. At the moment she didn't care. "Deeg, how did you do that? You shouldn't be able to do that!"

She was aware that all the men were listening fixedly. "The emerald, Az. You can have it back after I've killed him."

"Deeg-" Her sister clutched the stone as she began to take the chain reluctantly off her neck. "-mother won't-"

"Mother already banished me from court. I doubt this could possibly make her any angrier."

"The queen did what?" The advisor had moved a step closer to them. She never took her eyes off her sister. Her mouth had clamped shut. After a long pause where the emerald hung between them, Az set it in her hand. She felt a surge of light pound through her and staggered back slightly. Her sister reached out to catch her as alarm raced across her face, but she stepped back further knowing the magic increase from Az would only make it worse.

The second she could stand straight she threw the chain over her neck and let the emerald dangle from her chest. It greeted her cheerfully as it swung gently over her blouse. Closing her eyes she placed her fingertips on it and silently begged it to stop shouting at her. She felt a childlike sense of surprise before it stifled its magic and sent her a query about its behavior. She thanked it profusely and it practically beamed at her while it promised to remember to be quiet. Opening her eyes again she thought that had to be in the top three weirdest things that had ever happened with her magic. "That was so strange." She muttered under her breath.

"What was strange? Why did you react to it that way? What's going on?" Her sister was practically vibrating with suppressed frustration.

She shook her head as she rubbed her forehead. With the emerald magnifying her already hyper aware magic she could feel sparks of dark energy hitting her without even trying to sense it. It was starting to hurt and the sense of urgency she had been feeling for over a month hit her full force. "It's better you don't know."

"You can't possibly be serious!" Az made a slicing motion with her hand. "You're white as a sheet!"

She simply looked at her sister. "Do you trust me?"

Her sister snapped at her. "This has nothing to do with trust!"

"Yes. It does." The heir apparent gaped at her. "You either trust me or you don't. If you do then you're going to let this go right now. Don't make me choose between your safety and our relationship."

Taken aback Az shrank away slightly. "Deeg?"

Crossing her arms she waited for her sister to make her decision. It would be a shame if their last day together ended this way but she wasn't going to tell Az her secret. When had she started trusting Wyatt more than her sister? When had they lost the closeness they'd always shared? Apparently four years could change a lot of things.

Finally her sister nodded her head in a wordless agreement. The tension drained from her shoulder and she sat back down on the cool marble floor. She glanced over at the three men and put one of her arms over her knee as she drew it up and pretended nothing at all had happened. She was good at doing that. "I thought you were trying to teach Jeb to protect himself?"

Bless the Tin Man. He nodded, and clapping his son on the shoulder, led him back to the center of the mat. The advisor was staring at her sister who eventually sat back down beside her. Ambrose shot her one more worried look before turning back to the practice area. Once the men were occupied again her sister spoke uncertainly. "Are you sure you're going to be able to kill him?"

Touching the emerald she stared at Wyatt with a heavy heart. "No. No, I'm not sure. But I have a better chance than either of you do."

Reaching out her sister looped their arms together. "You won't have to do this alone. You have me." She bumped her shoulder against her sisters affectionately. That was true. She had Wyatt and Raw too. At least now she stood a fighting chance. Ten feet before her Jeb hit the mat. She smiled when he got back up.

Author Note: First off I'd like to thank everyone for their reviews and briefly apologize for the short lecture I am about to give. However, after an increasing number of recent reviews on a certain topic I would really like to say something. My stories, nearly all of them, are rated M for a reason. They contain adult content. This means that if you are under seventeen you should not be reading them. It also means that if you are uncomfortable with sexuality of any kind it is your prerogative to stop reading at any point. I have gotten an increasing number of reviews telling me my stories are lovely except for the intimate scenes. This has started to irk me. I feel my love scenes are about just that, love and intimacy. I feel it gives depth to the story and the characters. I work hard to give my stories this depth and a level of maturity I feel they deserve. I'm not trying to tell anyone that having sex before marriage is the right thing to do, I'm not saying that it's for everyone, but I feel sex is about love regardless of your marital status, gender, or anything else you can think of.

So please, I don't want to offend anyone, and I'm not trying to throw my own beliefs on you, but you are all adults (or you should be if you are reading this) and I would appreciate it if you would stop telling me the sex scenes make you uncomfortable. If it bothers you that much then I assure you there are a number of Tin Man fics that are rated T or below. They are well written and will entertain you, I've read them, I'll vouch for them. I have no problem with critiques. If there is a technical problem with my story or you feel the characters have gone off their original personalities I want to hear about it, I appreciate it, and I feel that kind of input makes me, as a person, a better writer. What I don't want to hear is that my stories content is wrong because of certain themes. It is unfair of you to try to stifle my creativity in that manner when you can easily close out the window on your computer screen. Be responsible for both your own beliefs and morality because I don't know you. I don't want or expect any sort of reply to this rant.

There. That's all I have to say. Sorry if that was a bit bitchy but there it is. So…on a happier note, reviews on this chapter are more than welcome. ;)


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer:

By the time they got back to her rooms at midday she thought she might pass out. The amount of magic hitting her had only increased, despite the emeralds good behavior, and she had to start shielding herself. While she could have taken the relic off she was too worried that it would either get snatched back up by Az, or she would be forced to adjust to it later. She didn't have time for later right now. So she kept her mouth shut as her body started to rebel. She was really banking on the hope that by sundown her magic would adapt to the extra addition of the emerald.

"I think you scared your sister." Jeb was entirely too perky for someone who had been flung to the ground at least a hundred times in the last three hours.

She flopped tiredly down on the loveseat. "I'm rather sure she'll bounce back given enough time."

Wyatt eyed her critically as he settled beside her. "And what about you? Are you going to bounce back anytime soon?"

Nodding she closed her eyes. "I'll be fine by tonight."

Her viewer rumbled at her. "When adjusted can take off."

She opened her eyes and sent him a questioning look. "You think?"

"Yes. DG will be fine once stable again. Magic confusing body." That was good to know. At least she'd be able to sleep tonight. Tomorrow was a bad day to be tired on.

The Tin Man stretched out and turned to Raw. "Do you think the advisor is goin' to get us any information on the guards?"

"Ambrose clever as well as smart. Will get what Tin Man asked for."

"Good." She couldn't blame Cain for asking. She could feel how edgy he had gotten in the last hour or so. She wasn't sure what had set him off, her reaction to the emerald, the fact that the mage would be here in less than twenty hours, or maybe he had realized exactly what teaching his son meant. As soon as the sparing lesson was over he had asked Ambrose to go get him all the information he could on the guards that were here. He wanted numbers, strengths, weaknesses, plans, and anything else the advisor could find. While she was listening she wondered if he had been in battle before. It sure sounded like he had been.

Jeb was staring up at the ceiling. "So assuming the mage attacks tomorrow-"

"He will." No point in denying that.

The teenager nodded. "And assuming we kill him-"

"We will." Wyatt had gotten all growly on them.

"Ok. What then?"

The Tin Man shot her a quick glance. Huh, they should probably tell Jeb she was going with them when they left. Though by the way he had been acting he had probably already figured on it. "Then we go home."

Jeb put his cheek on his fist as he stared over at his father. "Back to the city? Like nothing happened?"

Cain's lip twitched at his son's dour tone. "No. Like we accomplished something and now get to peacefully live out our lives."

"Gods, that's boring."

She laughed softly and Raw rumbled with mirth as Wyatt rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't mind a little boring after the last few weeks."

"Yeah, but you're old."

Her laughter increased at the Tin Man's incensed glare. She would hardly call him old. He couldn't be more than forty. Considering an average lifespan in the O.Z. was about a hundred and fifty he wasn't even middle aged. "I am not old. You're seventeen."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Grinning, she leaned into the corner of the couch and observed the two argue. Raw seemed to be having as much fun watching the byplay as she was. "I say that like its true."

Jeb waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "What do you know? You're so old you can't even remember being a teenager."

Wyatt's eyebrow quirked up. "I recall very clearly what it was like to be your age. That's why I watch you so damn close."

"You two are cute." Both Cain men turned and looked at her as if she had said they looked liked Papay in ball gowns. Smirking she back-pedaled teasingly. "I mean… you two are, umm, tough and manly."

Jeb wrinkled his nose at her. "Cute? Ugg."

Raw chuckled. "What did Jeb expect to happen?"

The young man thought about that for a few moments. "I dunno. A parade maybe?"

"A parade?" The Tin Man's voice was dry as the desert. "Only you would expect some sort of fanfare."

"I didn't say I wanted to be in it!" His son tried to defend himself.

"What you should expect is to find yourself a job."

His son grumbled. "You really suck all the fun out of life you know that?"

"Pragmatism is a handy skill."

She felt her lip twitching. This from the man that asked her to run off with him? The man that told her he was in love with her after three weeks? The man that worked for her uncle for who knew how long? "Pragmatism, huh?"

His jaw twitched and she felt her eyes twinkle. "Yes. Don't distract him."

"Distract me with what?"

The Tin Man pointed at him. "Not a chance, Jeb. You had three months of frolicking about to decided what you wanted to do."

Jeb grinned smugly. "I still have two weeks. I came back early."

"That's not gonna fly."

His son blew air out his nose looking grumpy. "I decided before I left, Dad." She could see he was trying to avoid some sort of argument.

The blond beside her frowned. "You told me you needed time. If you decided what you wanted to do why didn't you tell me?"

He shifted tensely as he blurted out an answer. "Because you told me you'd kill me if I ever became a Tin Man."

Wyatt's head reared back slightly. "You want to be a Tin Man?"

His son shrugged uncomfortably and she suddenly felt very out of place. "It was that or the guard and I'd like to be able to go where I want to. Besides, I don't think I'd take orders all that well."

"Jeb-" She saw Wyatt scrambling. "-if that's what you want then all you had to do was say so."

His son eyed him cautiously. "You're not angry?"

"No, I'm not angry."

"Yeah?" She'd rarely seen anyone look so relieved. Wyatt must have seen it too because he was obviously bothered that he may have caused such a conflict without meaning to. He nodded and his son smiled again.

She reached over and squeezed the Tin Man's hand discretely. She didn't like seeing him upset and as far as she was concerned this problem had been taken care of. She wistfully wished that she had this kind of relationship with her own parents but shoved it away. There was no point in dwelling on something she didn't know how to fix. Still, it was nice to see Wyatt talking rationally and openly with his son about things. Somehow it made her feel more accepted into his small family knowing he treated her with equal respect.

His shoulders slowly loosened as he caught her hand with his bigger one. "You're goin' to have to go to the academy. You know it's not a quick process. It's three more years of schoolin'."

If anything that only seemed to excite Jeb more. His eyes were twinkling merrily at his father. "You didn't mention the admittance exams."

Cain shook his head. "If you can't get through those after livin' with me you might as well throw your hat in now. You could have passed 'em when you were seven."

After that the Tin Man did his best to tell Jeb what he should be expecting once he was accepted as a recruit. It was interesting to hear about what he had gone through as well as the things that potential police were taught. Most of it sounded pretty mundane, she'd read enough reports and papers during her own education to know writing them couldn't be any fun, but the rest sounded more interesting than anything she'd ever been taught. Except for her magic lessons anyway.

"And don't let yourself get shot." The clipped order ended the story telling and she felt Wyatt's hand tense. She could only imagine the kind of state his son's choice had put him in. Knowing what he did about being a cop only enforced the knowledge that Jeb was putting himself voluntarily in danger. That couldn't be conducive for his peace of mind. She began to rub her thumb over his knuckles soothingly and he grumbled about Jeb giving him a heart attack.

Glancing quickly at the teenager she tried to help him out by lightening the mood "A heart attack has to be better than a stroke."

Cain closed his eyes and shook his head while Jeb winked at her. "You're not really helping, Deeg."

She untangled their hands and smacked his chest lightly. "Buck up! At least he knows what he wants. That's more than at least half the people I've ever met."

He turned his face to her and his eyebrow arched up. It was odd. She hadn't thought a single eyebrow could convey so much. "Huh." The eyebrow twitched. "You know your eyebrow is very expressive."

The Tin Man blinked at her, startled. She heard Jeb clap a hand over his mouth as a whoop of laughter erupted from him. Behind her Raw was making small sounds of amusement. Reaching out she was going to poke said eyebrow when he caught her hand and placed it firmly between his and the couch cushion. He started mumbling to himself. "No help at all."

She grinned and someone knocked on the door. Ambrose walked in looking harassed. Holding out a sheet of paper to the Tin Man he sat down with pursed lips. Wyatt let her go in order to study what he had been given more closely and she tilted her head at the advisor. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The gangly man twitched. "No, but Her Majesty has made me into a the messenger. I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot me." Wyatt made an impatient noise as he folded the paper slightly, his eyes scanning it rapidly. "Doll… She saw Azka-D without the emerald. She's not happy."

Shoving down her annoyance, she had specifically told Az to stay out of sight, she shrugged and let the news bounce off her. Really, it had been a pipe dream for her sister to avoid her parents the day before the eclipse. "My mother is rarely happy, Ambrose."

"Nevertheless, she insisted you give the gem back."

"No." She may be sick and dizzy but she wasn't stupid.

The advisor sighed. "I'm going to have to tell her something."

Her eyes hardened as she met his eyes. "Tell her whatever you want, but if she intends to get this back from me she's going to have to come down here and pry it out of my cold, dead hands. Is that enough of an answer?"

Ambrose nodded seriously. "I'll tell her you think it will draw attention to you as a distraction then."

Wyatt's eyes flashed and she saw Jeb's eyes glimmer with puzzlement. "Fine."

The Tin Man waved the paper slightly. "This is it?"

"Not exactly promising is it?"

"Promising? There are only a dozen guards stationed here! Only three of 'em have any type of field experience!" Cain stood up and began to walk around the room aimlessly. "Deeg-" He stopped and rubbed his temples in agitation then glanced over at her guiltily. "How many does he have?"

She stood and the room swayed. This was going to be fun to do with so much hitting her at once. "Give me a few minutes alone. The emerald is…" She remembered Ambrose and Jeb were in the room and trailed off and pointed to the bedroom. "Quiet." He nodded and started to pace again.

Once she was inside with the door closed she felt her unease increase as she sat in the middle of the bed. There was a pretty strong possibility that she might fall over or pass out while she was doing this and she thought falling on something soft would be best. Closing her eyes she admitted that she really, really didn't want to do this at all. The last time she had tried to spy on the mage he had made her feel her uncle's death. It hadn't been an easy one by anyone's standards. She had felt uncle Liam fighting with all he had. She hadn't told Wyatt that.

Taking a steadying breath she extended her awareness and felt the emerald stir against her. As soon as it realized what she was doing it added it's own magic to her second awareness and she reeled sideways as she pinpointed the mage in less than a moment. Fighting for control over her senses she counted everyone that had even the slightest trace of dark magic before the mage could realize she was there.

Feeling his magic start to intensify near her she pulled back and the emerald speed her journey. She came back to her room so fast she tumbled over. Well, that had ended better than she thought. Focusing on the feel of the cotton against her cheek she caught a familiar scent and relaxed further. The sheets smelled like the Tin Man. Gathering a pillow to her chest she held it for a long minute as she stabilized. When she did she felt far better than she had in hours. Her eyebrows came together and the emerald sent a happy thrum at her. It told her, in its own wordless way, that it understood her magic now. The gem had started to shield her all on its own.

She let out a relieved breath and got off the bed leaving the pillow behind. Opening the door she spotted Wyatt immediately and leaned into the doorframe. "About thirty-seven. That's as close as I could get. I'm not off by more than one in either direction."

"Wonderful." The Tin Man was grim as he turned back to Ambrose. "Go tell the consort. Make sure he thinks Raw saw it." The advisor frowned over at her as the cogs in his brain began to spin. She kept her face impassive, shed been sized up by more threatening people than him. "Make sure he has the men positioned like this." Wyatt turned to a desk in the corner, and grabbing a clean sheet of paper and a pen, started drawing quickly. He went through three pages in a matter of minutes. Handing the notes over to Ambrose he continued. "I don't care how you get him to do this. It might be best to tell him you came up with it. Regardless, it'll centralize the guards around the main hall. They'll be able to shoot and fight toward a central point without hittin' one another."

The advisor studied the drawings. "This is impressive." He flipped to the next sheet. "You drew these like a seasoned officer." There was a question there.

He shrugged with disinterest. "I served for a few years. I was always good with strategy."

"There's no doubt of that." That was high praise coming from the genius. "I'll take care of it and try to keep the queen out of your way."

"Thanks, Ambrose."

He smiled over at her. "Anytime, Doll. Until tomorrow."

"We need to meet before dawn." The Tin Man threw in as he headed toward the door. "Those books said his power would peak at the eclipse. It didn't say anything about how high his magic would run leadin' up to it. We need to be ready when he decides to visit."

"Agreed." The advisor opened the door and looked over his shoulder. There was a dangerous gleam in his dark eyes. "We'll see if thirty-seven men and a mage are enough to take us." By the way he was holding himself she was fairly confident he was going to be able to take at least ten of the men by himself this time.

Crossing her arms over her chest she watched as he left. "This should be fun."

Jeb was shifting restlessly as Wyatt paced and Raw spoke for the first time in a long time. "Battle for kingdom end tomorrow."

"Only question now is which way its gonna fall."

She sighed softly thinking the better question was who the fight was going to topple over in the process.

Author Note: Ok, floor hitting 'wow'! I should probably say 'WOW'! I didn't even realize I had so many readers (now slightly nervous). I thought my mailbox was going to explode over my last author note. So to everyone that sent me a review, man that's a ton of people, I would like to say thank you! It's good to know that you enjoy my stories as they are and I'm not the only one that has encountered this issue. This has certainly perked me back up. I would also like to tell those of you that asked that I intend to update Emerald Shield once this story has run its course. Unfortunately, I hit a wall with it (yeah it hurt… hard wall…head first…ouch.) and I refuse to put out work that is not up to par. Happily, this story has given me the space I needed to get over my writers block. Cheers!


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I got one! Hahahaha!

He was pleased Deeg was finally stable again as she removed the emerald from around her neck and set it on the nightstand next to his gun. In fact, she had started to regain her color shortly after the advisor left. Despite her return to normal he saw her begin to work herself up. She hid it well, better than anyone he'd ever seen, but Deeg couldn't keep that from him. Pushing some of her hair behind her ear he saw her inspecting his holster briefly with a look of such concentration he had to fight back asking her about it. He wondered what she saw that had her so curious. Her observations were usually so quirky he couldn't help himself.

She turned her head to find him watching her as he sat on the edge of the bed and smiled rather shyly at him. He loved that expression, her cross between affection and uncertainty. It was beyond endearing. Smiling back he caught her hand, pulling her so she was standing between his legs, and wrapped his arms around her back.

He would have done nearly anything to take his girl away from the danger tomorrow was going to bring them if he could. He hated that she had been forced into this. He hated that she had to work so hard and risk so much to keep her family safe when her parents had so little regard for her. He hated that she had lost one of only two family members that she could show open affection for without being shoved away. He hated that she had to keep so many secrets. Mostly he hated the mage and all the trouble he had brought with him, not to mention her parents for making her build such a strong shell around her heart. But she'd let it crack away for him.

As that thought struck a surge of affection tore at him and he moved his hands so he could cup her face tenderly. Brushing her hair off her cheek he stared up into her sky blue eyes. He had meant to do this right before. He figured he owed it to her to at least say it right once before anything else happened. "I do love you, Sweetheart."

Her eyes sparked and she leaned further into him silently. Her only response to that was to rub her forehead against his hair and kiss his temple. He wasn't expecting her to say it back. Deeg didn't have it in her yet. The people that were supposed to love her the most had betrayed her too badly. He did know that her silence wasn't an indication that she didn't feel something for him. She was gun shy.

Bringing his lips to hers he kissed her slowly and thoroughly. She moaned softly and he dragged her onto his lap so he could touch more of her. Breaking slowly away from her mouth he started to work his way across her jaw as he aimed for the place below her ear that made her tremble. As he took his time tasting her, small hands found his chest and rubbed up and over his arms. He sighed into her skin as warm contentment settled over him. He hadn't been lying when he told her it would be this way with them.

Finding the spot he had been after he heard her whimper and tug lightly at his collar. "Wyatt." Her voice had turned to liquid want and he gathered her closer.

Turning his head slightly so he could nuzzle his way down her neck he murmured softly. "No rushin' this time. I was too rough with you last night, Sweetheart." He knew what had happened. There had been too much grief and need to stop what had occurred the night before. They had fallen at each other so hard he doubted he could have stopped it if he had tried. Deeg deserved better than that from him. "That's not gonna happen today."

"You weren't rough." Her hands had stilled when he said that.

He moved his head away and drew back the top of her blouse until he could touch the purple bruise he had given her. "I saw how much I marked you up this mornin'." He sighed knowing he had lost control with her sooner than he had ever intended. He had wanted to introduce her to the more unrestrained aspects of lovemaking more slowly, when she was ready and completely comfortable with him. This morning he had been half afraid she would be ashamed over what had happened, or worse frightened. She was so young and this was all new to her. Luckily, she had been neither. The only thing she seemed to need was to try to re-establish the emotional connection they had. He hadn't tried to stop her when she decided to run her hands over him as she slowly explored at her own pace. "This isn't the only one I gave you."

In response she found his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. Holding her where she was for a long time he leaned back reluctantly so he could see her. Her lips were slightly swollen from where he'd been kissing her and her cheeks were flushed pink. She tilted her head up at him, never looking away from his eyes. He saw as sudden flash of something in them and she kissed his cheek once before speaking. "It's not too late for me to send you and Jeb away from here."

"No." His voice was gruff because he knew what she was doing. She was trying to protect them. She tried to keep everything she cared for as far away from danger as she could. She'd come back for her sister, thrown her family and friends into a storm, went to her uncle when she knew as well as anyone that she was too exhausted to protect herself, and now she was trying to send them as far from the mage as she could. He was certain the only reason she hadn't mentioned the Furball in this little plan of hers was because she knew that inevitably one of them was going to need his healing gift.

"You'd be safer." There wasn't any fight in her this time, only fear.

"It would only be safer for a time if you can't kill him. We're going to help stop him, Darlin'. Sometimes it only takes one more person to tip the scales in your favor."

Her hand trailed down over his heart as she pushed her head under his chin. "I'm afraid." Deeg's voice was small and ashamed.

He hugged her more tightly. "Me too."

She nodded and sucked in a shaky breath before she looked back up at him with a small smile. "That makes me feel oddly better."

He chuckled at her blunt honesty and kissed her forehead. "I know an even more effective way of making you feel better." Twisting around he laid her out on the bed and her breathy laughter filled the room. He rubbed up one of her legs as she laughed. "There's my girl."

She wrapped her opposite leg over his hip and gave him a put upon glare as she slipped into her court voice. "Your girl is getting rather impatient with you, Tin Man."

He growled playfully into he shirt. "Such a proper princess when I'm about to rip off all your clothes and make you scream yourself hoarse."

A shudder ran down her body even as she raised her eyebrow in dismissal. "I see no evidence of that."

He wasn't going to take that. Bunching the fabric of her blouse in his hand he tugged it up and over her head. Her curls were pleasantly out of place as he smirked down at her. Her eyes glinted with amusement while the rest of her face remained impassive. "That's hardly 'all my clothes'."

A wave of delighted lust hit him at her playfulness and he scooted down her body until he could nip gently at her rib cage. She fought not to fidget as he unhooked her pants. He managed to catch her panties with his thumbs, and levering himself up, began to pull them off her. She lifted her hips for him and he carelessly tossed her clothes away before dropping his head to kiss her stomach. He saw finger sized bruises dotting her hips and ran his hand over them regretfully. Tugging on his hair to get his attention she smiled provocatively and tried to drag him back up to her. Ignoring her invitation he let his mouth follow the path his hand had made.

She started to squirm under him but he held her still with a hand spread over her stomach. As he worked his way from the flare of her hip inward she tried to shimmy away from him. "What are you doing?"

His eyes ran up her body as she propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at him. "I thought I made it pretty clear that I was goin' to make you feel better." It was plain she was confused by what he was about to do to her. She had gone from temptress to innocently unsure in the blink of an eye. His teeth grazed the line where her leg met her body and she squirmed again. He did enjoy teachin' her this, enjoyed being the one that made her sigh and scream in pleasure. "Just lie back and relax."

"But-" He began to stroke her with his hand and her words were cut off by a strangled moan. He grinned into her thigh before he replaced his fingers with his tongue. He thought all the air left her body when he licked her and he pressed her stomach down more firmly so she couldn't get away. It took him less than a minute to have her writhing under his mouth and he was forced to loop his arm over her leg to help hold her in place.

"Wyatt!" Her breathy supplications had him reeling for her and tasting her was hardly helping, she was pure sex against his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she started to arch up off the mattress as she tugged his hair hard. Moving his head up he laved the small bundle of nerves as he pressed two of his fingers inside of her and curled them up. Her body went stiff as she clamped around him and a cry was torn from her throat. He continued to stroke her slowly as her body tried to come down. As soon as she went still he pushed his fingers up a little harder and sucked her mercilessly. She exploded again so hard he nearly lost his grip on her.

Withdrawing his hand he started kissing his way slowly up her body. She was limp and gasping and he was rather proud of what he had done to her. Deeg's reaction had him so hot for her he could barely contain himself. Her eyes opened slowly and he rumbled into her neck as he kissed her. "How ya feelin' now, sweet thing?"

"Uhng." He chuckled smugly.

"Good to hear." Her hands brushed weakly against the buttons on his shirt and he kissed her before getting up to take off his own clothes. She was reaching for him as soon as he got back on the bed and couldn't wait for her any longer. "Are you ready for me, Darlin'?"

His hand snaked between them to test her and she tilted her hips up. "Pretty much all the time." He growled down at her as she somehow managed to make him want her more, he hadn't thought that was possible. One of her legs wound around the back of his and he positioned himself before sliding into her slick heat. He groaned as she squeezed him and exquisite pleasure raced through him.

"Gods, you feel good." Deeg kissed his jaw and mewled in agreement. He rocked slowly in and out of her, wanting to prolong this as much as possible. He kissed her as they moved together and he managed to get his hand under her neck as he swiveled his hips. Her breathing hitched and he held her head back so he could suck on her neck. Her other leg came up to lock over his back as she drove him deeper and it was his turn to gasp. "Are you tryin' to kill me?"

"No-" She was gasping again. "-trying to return the favor."

Burying his face against her shoulder he curled his body further when he bottom out in her and she clutched at his arms. The friction was too much and he was losing his grip, but he'd be damned if he was going to let go before he had her screaming again. "Come, Darlin'." She met his hips with hers, tightening as hard as she could around him. He thought that was terribly unfair as his body jerked nearly painfully as he held onto the last thread of restraint he had. "Deeg!" He growled a strangled warning to her and she had the audacity to laugh between gasps. That was it. Slipping his arm down he flicked her clit and she cried out his name as she let go. He followed her immediately, pressing her deep into the mattress as his own orgasm rocked through him. His mind went blank and all he wanted was to stay inside her forever as he reeled from their encounter.

Trying to catch his breath in the aftermath he rolled them over so she was sprawled out over him. He looked over at her in disbelief. How had she managed to figure out how to make him loose it so fast? She was a damn quick learner. "You're a cruel woman. I can't believe you tried to do that."

Deeg simply patted his chest as she laid on him and crooned confidently. "You liked it, Tin Man."

He groaned pitifully and let his head fall back onto the pillow. "When we leave I swear I'm keeping you naked in my bed for a week." His mind rejoiced over the number of things he could teach her in that amount of time.

She started tracing nonsensical patterns on his shoulder. "You can try."

He cracked open an eye. Was that a _challenge_ he heard? She smiled wickedly at him and he decided he was fully capable of keeping her there even with her magic. Looping his arm over her he smiled confidently and closed his eye again. That might make this whole mage thing worth it.

Speaking of evil, they needed to sleep. They needed to be awake before the suns rose. He wanted to be ready when this started because he had no idea if the mage was going to strike before the eclipse began or not. He sighed internally as the afterglow was replaced with rage. Shifting, he carefully placed Deeg back on the bed and tucked her against him. He kissed her forehead before finding the blanket.

His girl snuggled closer to him and he shifted so he could cover more of her. He knew offers of comfort had been few and far between for her and having her this close made him feel better. He liked being able to make her feel safe as much as he enjoyed her turning to him. Tomorrow wasn't going to be pleasant, he was doubtful about how well he was going to be able to protect her. He thought he knew enough now to take the good moments when he could. This had certainly been one of those moments. Settling down he murmured into her hair as he began to drift off. "I love you."

His breathing slowly evened out and he was on the cusp of sleep when he heard her barely audible whisper against his shoulder. "I love you too." It took all his self-control to stop himself from jolting in shock. His eyes flew open and he wished he could see something other than the top of her curly hair. Deeg had sounded…afraid of what she had said. He didn't want her to be frightened by that, although he knew why she was. They needed to talk about this.

Moving his head he twisted so he could see her. "Sweetheart?"

She didn't say anything and he looked at her more closely. She'd fallen asleep. He sighed and laid back down, unwilling to wake her up. She needed all her energy tomorrow and he was doubtful she'd be able to fall back asleep if they talked about this. He could only imagine how hard that had been for her to say out loud even if she had thought he was asleep. He should have known better than thinking she hadn't tumbled into this as fully as he had. He should have known the second she agreed to leave with him. Hell, he should have known their first night together. She wouldn't have opened up to him otherwise. Not with the personality she had, with the control she had, with her ability to analyze a situation from nearly every angle.

Holding her head under his neck he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep. There was no help for it now. They wouldn't be able to have this conversation until this was over and they were gone. He'd have to be patient.

Author Note: Ok, here's the deal. I realize this is a horrible place to make you guy wait but midterms are this week for me. I have a truly insane amount of stuff to do for school so don't expect the next chapter until Saturday. I'm sorry about the timing, seeing as the big battle is next, but I need to pass stuff so I'm not stuck here forever. I hope to hear from you! (Hint, *cough* hit review button, hint)


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I don't own it. It's getting redundant I know but what can I do?

"Wyatt." He groaned and turned his head away. A small hand was suddenly on his shoulder and shaking him. "Wyatt, you have to wake up." His girls voice was strained and his eyes opened when he remembered why. "Come on, Tin Man." She kissed his cheek quickly before slipping out of the bed and picking up the emerald. As she walked over to her dresser she put the chain over her neck and began digging for a pair of pants.

Grabbing his own set of clothes that suddenly appeared on the side of the bed he got dressed and adjusted his holster before walking up behind Deeg. When he wrapped his arm around her waist she jumped in surprise. "Shhh, Darlin'." She was shaking slightly and he held her close against him. "You fought this man before and this time I'm here to help."

Her arms wrapped over his. "It's just… I can feel him." He could feel the disgust rolling off of her.

He frowned and nuzzled the juncture of her shoulder as he murmured an unfortunate truth. "For now that's a good thing."

She nodded and her back straightened. "I know. We don't have more than two hours. I can feel him getting ready."

Her voice had hardened and he closed his eyes briefly as he steadied himself. He wanted her away from this so badly. He wanted Jeb away from this. His family was in danger and he hated it. Because she was family. There was no point in denying that, not anymore. "I'll keep you safe, Deeg."

Turning in his arms she caught his lips briefly before looking up into his face seriously. "Worry about keeping your son safe. I can take care of myself."

His lip twitched at her confidence. "I'm well aware of that." He caressed her face as he soaked her in. "Doesn't mean you should have to." She dropped her eyes and he caught her mouth. She made a small sound that he recognized as the beginning stages of arousal and he forced himself to end the kiss long before he wanted to. They didn't have time do this right now. "When this is over I promise we'll go home and you won't have to fight anymore." She gazed at him wistfully. "Not for anything."

"And here I thought I wanted this to be over with before."

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "Come on, sweet thing, let's go find the others."

They picked up Jeb from his room as the second sun began to rise. Raw found them in the hallway and he saw a flash of silver disappear under his son's belt. "Balance degrades." The viewer was dire. "Light has begun to wane."

He began to hustle them down the hall. "Already? The suns just rose."

"I don't think it matters." Deeg was twitching. "My magic's starting to fizzle."

He cursed under his breath as the other doors in the family wing began to open. Azkadilla stepped of her room with her fiancé hot on her heels. Ambrose had a deadly glint in his toffee eyes and she looked more than ready for a fight. "Deeg, do you feel funny?"

"If by funny you mean our magic is failing, then yes." He glanced between them. It took him a moment to figure out why the older princess hadn't recognized what was happening to them. Unlike his girl she had never had a problem with her magic. She may have been drained before, maybe even tapped out, but she had never had to deal with her own magic rebelling on her. Deeg had dealt with that first hand for months. She must be much more in tune with her light than either her sister or her mother and he had a feeling that had nothing to do with the additional gift Kara had given her.

"How bad do you think it's going to get?"

The queen and consort made their appearance and her melodic voice answered her daughter's question. "At the height of the eclipse our magic may drop to half of what we are normally capable of." And the mage's would be twice as high? That didn't bode well for them. The queen was staring at Deeg who ignored her. He was sure he knew what the woman wanted and he was equally sure Deeg would knock her mother out before handing over the emerald.

Deciding to distract them from a fight before it began he put his hand on the small of her back and urged her toward the exit. They needed to get to the main hall. He wasn't going to run the risk of them getting trapped here if the mage somehow got the jump on Deeg. "We need to go to the main hall and get the guards in position."

Ahamo seemed to want to argue but he must have seen the logic in the suggestion. The walk down to the hall was fraught with silent tension. Between the family drama that Deeg was going through and the certain fight that was about to go down he didn't know what else he was expecting. When they got there he took one look at the guards and started muttering under his breath. He spotted the three that had field experience in two seconds, the rest were displaying all the classic signs of first fight jitters.

Making a decision he sighed and put Deeg next to the viewer so he could act as a buffer. Leaning down he whispered in her ear. "Hide the emerald, Darlin'. No need for the mage to know you have it." Nodding in understanding she tucked it under her blouse as he continued. "I need to get the men organized and snap 'em out of their heads. Most of 'em are about to panic. I'll be back in a bit." Turning so the guards couldn't see him he placed a swift kiss on the side of her head. "I love you." Then he turned and motioned for Jeb to follow him.

His son was much more relaxed than any of the other men despite the fact that he was at least five years younger than any of them. His eyes froze over as he sank into his slightly more… aggressive personality. "Who's in charge?" His voice snapped over the men in front of him like a whip. Next to him Jeb fell back a few inches and stilled. His son was making it clear that he was deferring the position of authority to him.

"I am." One of the few experienced men stepped forward at gazed at him levelly. The man was younger than him by a good ten years but he seemed stable enough. Despite this he wanted to gain control as quickly and easily as possible.

"Do you have a name?"

"Lieutenant James Lewis."

He nodded curtly. "Lieutenant, why aren't your men in position?"

"We were told we had a few hours before anything was going to happen."

Block headed son of a- "By who? A non-military politician?" His voice rang with displeasure. "What do you think is gonna happen if we get attacked early and the lot of you are standin' around like this is a lawn party?"

"I-"

He snarled. "Spread out and get your weapons ready. If anybody moves from where they're supposed to be the last thing your goin' to have to worry about are enemy soldiers and a cranky mage." The man in front of him was gaping slightly. "Now!" His barked order had them scattering to where they were supposed to be without question. Better that they were scared of him than what they were about to deal with.

"Nice, Dad." He heard humor lacing his son's voice.

He growled in annoyance. "Idiots."

"Yeah, but now there your idiots. Doesn't that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?"

"Jeb, I swear by all that is holy you could test the patience of Glinda herself."

His son snickered. "I guess we'll never know since she's been dead for a good six hundred years. However, I do seem to test your patience fairly well."

He rolled his eyes. "Proud of yourself?"

"Definitely. Not many people live long after doing that and I've made it nearly eighteen years." His lip twitched up as his eyes swept the hall to make sure his order had been followed. He felt his son's eyes on him and waited. "Are you going to marry her?"

He blinked and looked over at his son. "What?"

Jeb had turned serious. "Dad, I've never seen you look at anyone that way except mom." He was shocked. Not that Jeb had noticed but his son rarely spoke of Adora. After she had died he had been devastated and Jeb had done what any thirteen year old would. He had started to rebel.

The first couple of months he let a lot more slide with his boy than he usually would have. He had understood the pain he had been in. Hell, between the grief, his job, and having to suddenly deal with being an only parent had him pretty confused over how he should be handling the situation. The third time Jeb snuck out had been the last straw. The resulting argument had Jeb screaming over his apparent hatred for him followed soon after by the breakdown he had been expecting since the funeral.

His son had rarely cried, even when he had been a baby, but everything had caught up to him all at once. His heart had nearly broken when Jeb tearfully apologized and tried to lock himself in his room. His son hadn't even managed to get the door all the way shut before he had dragged him back into the hall and into the tightest hug he had ever given anyone. Jeb had simply stood there and cried while he tried to get a handle on the situation.

Having no idea how to explain to Jeb that these things happened, because that seemed like a lie and a horribly easy way out, he told him the gods' honest truth. He had told his son very clearly that he was as mad, confused, and sad as he was. He told him that it wasn't fair and he was allowed to be as angry or upset as he wanted as long as he didn't do anything stupid like sneaking out of the house and going who knows where at two in the morning because if he got himself killed he wouldn't be able to handle it. He had told him that if he needed space the only thing he needed to know was where he was going, and if he wanted to talk about it he was there.

The next morning a very subdued teenager sat down across from him at their kitchen table and started asking questions. He couldn't answer all of them, and he admitted that, but the ones he could he did. After over an hour had passed Jeb had run out of steam and asked if he could go to the park. Unable to deny him such a simple request he had agreed. While his son was gone he had placed the only picture they had of Adora as well as a quilt she had made on Jeb's bed.

When he had checked on him late that night he had found Jeb curled up around the folded quilt and the framed photograph of his mother on his dresser across the room. For the first time in ages a smile had touched his lips as he moved silently into the room and carefully removed the blue blanket out from under his sleeping son's arm before covering him with it.

Since that day Jeb hadn't mentioned Adora more than a dozen times in his presence. He knew he thought about her, he'd seen the picture move around his room as the months and years went by, but he had slowly gotten his spunk back as he accepted the loss. After his talk with him over Deeg he was beginning to suspect the lack of communication had as much to do with not wanting to talk about it as much as not wanting to upset him.

Jeb's shifted his weight and drew him back into the present. "I know it was hard on you. Losing mom." He searched his son's face. "I didn't make things any easier."

Gripping his son by the shoulder he replied seriously. "It was my job to make things easier on you. It's not supposed to work the other way around."

"Maybe, that doesn't make me feel any better about how I acted." Before he could reply Jeb continued. "I don't want to see you lose someone else that matters to you. I like Deeg." He smiled lopsidedly. "And trust me, I never expected to like anyone you tried to bring home, not that you ever did. She's a good person. I think mom would have liked her." His son searched his face. "So are you going to marry her?"

"That's up to her."

"What's that mean?"

He sighed and rubbed his nose and tried to figure out how to explain this without betraying his girls trust. "Deeg found herself in a bit of trouble when she was younger. Wasn't her fault, she did the right by someone that needed her help." Jeb was listening intently as his eyes turned to watch the younger princess as she said something to Raw. "When it was over she found herself in a jam. She was hurt and sick. She lost control of her magic and her parents sent her to the coast."

"They sent her to the viewers so they could heal her?"

Wouldn't that have been thoughtful? "No, Jeb." His son glanced back at him. "They sent her away so she wouldn't embarrass them. They didn't know the viewers were there."

"They sent her away knowing she was sick?" He could see confused anger in him now. "Who would do that? What if she had gotten worse?"

He figured that question wasn't worth answering. "She was alone for a long time. That can change a person, knowing you don't have anyone that cares, being afraid and having no one to turn to. It's hard for her to open up. I asked her to come with us when we leave." Jeb nodded. "She's going to but I'm not pushin' anything else at her. When she's settled, if she decides to stay, I'm goin' to ask her."

"And if she decides to leave?"

"I don't think she will." Not after what he had heard her whisper to him last night. "Are you alright with her living with us?"

"I told you I like her. Besides, in a month or so I'll be at the academy. Pretty sure you said they had dorms the recruits had to live in." There was a slight pause. "You know there'll be questions about her. What are you going to tell people when they ask about her?"

He hadn't thought about that. Jeb had a good point. They wouldn't be able to let it slip that she was a princess of the realm. "We'll need to make up a history for her. Shouldn't be hard provided we keep the story straight. In a few weeks people will lose interest."

"You won't be able to fool everyone. Some of your friends are as sharp as you. They'll be able to tell we're lying. Tanner will for sure, especially when you come back and tell him the duke's dead and you need a job. He knows where you've been."

"He'll stop askin' if I draw a line." He turned that over in his head for a few minutes. "Then again it might not be bad if he found out. Another set of eyes and ears watchin' out for her isn't a bad idea." He smiled wickedly. "It'll drive him crazy until he works it out."

"Yeah, that'll go over real well." Jeb was grumbling. "How am I supposed to go over to his house knowing he's going to interrogate me every time I walk through the door?"

Poor kid. He really wasn't helping him out all that much but Jeb needed a challenge every now and then. "I guess you'll have to ask yourself if it's really worth it."

His son glared at him. "That's not even fair."

Amusement raced through him. "That's life."

Jeb grumbled and was on the verge of answering when Deeg cried out from across the hall and began to shove Raw behind a pillar. "He's coming!"

Already? Damn. His gun was in his hand as he grabbed Jeb's shirt and pushed him back until they too were next to a column. They needed cover. He yelled out across the room to the guards. "Stay alert and take your time aiming! These men mean business!" Pressing his back to the marble he spoke quickly to his son. "I know you can fight, Jeb. Stay calm and use your head. I want you to live through this."

"Yup." Jeb crouched down so he was mostly covered and pulled out his own gun with a steady hand. "The feeling's mutual."

He nodded and looked across the empty hall at Deeg. She caught his eye and sent him a determined galnce before there was an echoing crack and nearly forty men appeared in the center of his trap. "Fire!" Guns went off in every direction and he saw a flash of light as one of the Gale women set off a spell. A bullet missed his head by an inch and at least eight men went down when a dark wave tore from the center of the group and smashed through the hall. He was thrown off his feet and Jeb slid backward a good three feet.

Hearing a cackling laugh he rolled back to his feet and homed in on the mage. He wasn't hard to spot. He was the only one in the hall still standing except for Deeg and Azkadilla. The man ignored the older princess completely, which made him nervous. He should have been worried about anyone else who could use magic but he was fixated. "That was clever, my beauty." The consort and queen were struggling back up and he saw white light flashing around the queen as she took aim while still on her knees.

Deeg smiled grimly. "Can't take credit for it." Then she sent a shock wave at him faster then her mother could and he vanished as it passed over where he had been. He reappeared to her right as her spell slammed into her parents by mistake. She let out a horrified cry as they were thrown back to the ground and was nearly killed as he threw his own magic at her. Her sister jumped in front of her and threw up a shield in time to block most of the magic. The rest threw them backward and Deeg let out a pained shout as she hit the ground awkwardly.

He started shooting again as the guards and the mage's men started getting back up and the mage turned to the queen and snapped his fingers. To his horror he saw silver manacles blast out of the marble floor around her and snap around her wrists. The queen glowed brightly and tried to get out of them with her magic. The second the monarch's light flowed into her hands she screamed and toppled to the side.

Ignoring this, the mage's eyes flew around the room and landed on him. "I know you." The man grinned. "You were at the ball." He growled low in his throat and aimed at his head. "I'm afraid this time I can't let you ruin our dance." He fired only to have his bullet lodge itself in one of the mage's men that jumped in front of him. "Don't worry. There are plenty of other dance partners here for you. I am afraid your venue will need to be changed. Do have a good time."

He felt magic coalescing all around them and Deeg let out a shout of alarm. He felt himself being squeezed and heard a number of shouts go up around the hall. His vision blurred and the main hall swam in and out of focus before dissolving around him. Suddenly he was dropped somewhere cold and he slipped on a slick surface. Holding onto his gun tightly he looked up quickly and swore. He, along with every other guard and nearly all of the mages men had been teleported out onto the frozen lake in front of the palace.

"Shit!" Jeb was already back on his feet and firing into the near white out as a man hurled himself at his son.

He thought that pretty much summed things up as he plowed the butt of his gun into another mans face. He yelled over the howling wind. "We need to get back to the palace! Re-group!"

The sound of gunfire and shouting blew around them on the wind as he and Jeb began forcing their way through the knee-deep snow. He was praying that his adrenaline and anger stayed up so he wouldn't start to panic. Deeg was now in serious trouble and the only backup she had was her sister, a viewer, and the advisor. Two men came at him from the left and as he shot one as the other was suddenly grabbed from behind. There was a sharp snap and the man fell to the cold ground with a broken neck. The snow parted enough for him to make out a familiar gangly figure and he felt his blood running cold. In front of them he heard an enraged roar and his stomach dropped.

He was wrong. The princesses were on their own. They needed to get back in there right now. "Let's go, Glitch! No time to stand around now." The advisor cast him a look of disdain and moved lithely ahead of him as he waited for another man to come at him. He was glad the advisor was on his side because he was anything but kind and understanding now. The man was radiating calculated rage as the snow engulfed him again.

A shot rang out next to him and he turned to see Jeb moving his head this way and that. "This snow is really helpful!" Sarcasm was thick in his voice as he squinted and fired in front of him at what he thought was an empty space until he heard a shout. His son had an advantage here. His young eyes were better than his.

"You can see better than the rest of us!" He had to shout to be heard. "Which way are his men?" His son frowned and scanned the area.

"Five there!" Nodding he started shouting orders and hoped like hell the guard could hear him. This was going to have to be fast if they were going to get into the palace in time.

Author Note: A little late I know but I had to write this chapter and the next one together. So be happy! The next chappy will be up super fast!


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I caught a Jeb!

They were gone. All the fighters were gone but ten of the mage's men. She didn't give herself time to gape at what he had done as she tried to scramble up. Her ankle gave out below her and she fell to one knee as she felt desperately for Raw. She was betting he was with everyone else. Az let out an angry shout and hurled her magic across the room. The mage staggered back but she wasn't sure how much damage her sister had done. She locked onto the viewer out on the lake and let the connection go so she could put all her concentration on her light. Now that she knew they were at least alive, hopefully all of them, she could fight with her full attention.

The mage sent a blast of dark magic at the two of them and she hurled herself up and erected a shield in front of both of them. His magic broke through it and they were tossed in separate directions. Unable to keep her balance on her injured ankle she fell to the floor once again and let out a cry of frustration. This was crazy. It was like a mouse trying to win against a cat with the eclipse on his side. Hitting the ground she rolled twice before catching herself. She flipped to her hands and knees in time to see the mage step to the side and send a bolt of dark energy at Az. Her sister didn't have a chance now that he could direct all his magic in one direction. The darkness hit her, shattering her defenses, and she flew backward into a pillar, her head hit the carved marble with an audible crack. The heir apparent slumped to the tiled floor and didn't move.

"Azkadilla!" Her mother screamed at the same time she did.

"No!" She began to spring when his depraved eyes turned back to her. He snapped his fingers and another set of chains sprang into existence around her. Manacles snapped tight around her wrists and she toppled to the floor face first. She skidded until the chains caught her and she ground to an abrupt halt. Snarling in rage she locked onto his position and threw a blast of magic at him as the hidden emerald boosted her power.

A scream tore through her as her magic was forced back on her by the chains that were holding her down. A smug chuckle floated to her and she yanked at the shackles angrily. "I'm afraid that isn't going to work, my beauty. They're made of moritanium and hold a rather ingenious spell in them if I do say so myself." His clipped footfall came closer, and seeing him out of the corner of her eye, she twisted fast and lashed out at him with her foot. She had a brief moment of self-satisfaction as she got off a solid hit to his shin.

Cursing he fell back before spinning toward her and kicking her hard across the rips. The air left her lungs in a whoosh and her father yelled as he fought as hard as he could against the remaining men that had caught hold of him. He was rewarded with a quick punch to the stomach and doubled over as they held him.

She wasn't able to recover before he grabbed her hair and yanked her head back at an awkward angle. Without loosening his grip he sent another blast of magic through her body. She convulsed with a scream of agony as he held her tightly. Her magic flared briefly, burning her wrists where the metal touched her, before she forced it down and allowed the dark energy to lance through her body. She heard him laughing as she wailed and then he let her fall to the ground. She collapsed in a crumpled heap at his feet and fought down a moan of pain, she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. "And to think you could have avoided all this. I would have killed your family anyway but you wouldn't have had to see it. This all would have been a lot faster."

Her eyes opened slowly and she could see her father struggling in the grip of the two men holding him as her mother was held to the marble on her knees by the chains around her wrists, her violet eyes blazing. Az lay still and silent on the floor with a soldiers boot over her chest in case she regained consciousness. Pushing herself to her knees she cursed at him. "Fuck you."

Another blast of magic hit her and she let out a shout as pain tore across her back. She felt warm wetness across it and realized what he had done. He was using his magic like a whip on her skin. "Let her go you bastard!" Ahamo was snarling as the darkness released her. She doubted it had anything to do with her father's threat.

He started circling her and she tried desperately to get her hands free. "You couldn't leave well enough alone could you?" He stared down at her as he spoke and without warning another slash of magic hit her. She gasped and fought harder. "You stayed here, and for what?" Another lash and she screeched. "For them? What have they ever done for you?"

"Enough." Her mother's voice was sharp and commanding. "You want magic?" She straightened as much as she was able. "Leave my daughters alone. You can have mine."

"Yours?" He raised an eyebrow and glanced back at the queen. Suddenly he threw back his head and started laughing hysterically. "Yours? You think I came here for _your_ magic?" Looking down at her wrists she flashed back four years to the warehouse. No. Oh no. This is how Kara had been held down. And Kalm had been held on the other side of the room… Her eyes flew to the mage and he cocked his head to the side as a smirk played over his lips. She blanched and tried to wrench as far from him as possible as realization dawned. He had never been after her family. He had been after her. He'd been trying to get her alone at the ball not out of the way.

Her mother was radiating rage. "Why did you come here then? Simply to murder us all?"

She had managed to edge a few inches away as she silently screamed for Raw to get to her faster. She couldn't use her magic with the chains around her wrist. She couldn't escape. He was going to take the one thing that would make him nearly invincible once the eclipse ran its course and he returned to his normal magic level.

"Oh that's priceless." He circled back behind her and a fourth laceration tore its way down from her shoulder to her hip. She let out a shout as he crouched down next to her. Catching a fistful of her hair with one hand he wrenched her head up and ran his knuckles benevolently across her jaw. "They don't know do they?" He continued to chuckle as both her parents looked at her.

Pressing her lips together and breathing hard through her nose she glared defiantly at him before spitting in his face. He could go straight to hell for all she cared. His magic raked across her back and there were suddenly so many slashes she couldn't suck in enough air to scream. He held her up by her hair as she gasped and when she managed to open her eyes he was smiling sadistically at her. "Stop!" She'd never seen her father so upset by anything affecting her before.

Then she saw the wicked gleam in the mages eye and snapped at him. "Leave them out of this. None of them can give you what you want. Let them go."

He spoke to her like a teacher would speak to an errant pupil. "Now that's where you're wrong, my beauty." Standing up he threw her forward on the floor. "Without them this would be so much harder for us." He glanced down waving his hand and another line of blood made its way along her skin. She clawed at the marble below her hands as her shirt began to stick sickly to her skin. "Well, it's going to be hard for you regardless. But we both know this won't work properly if you don't want to save them don't we?"

Overwhelmed by pain and fear her mind shifted to an unfamiliar place and she began to laugh. "You think your going to get what you want? What do you know?" She shoved herself back up and met his eyes. "You think this is a formula? A simple set up with me being tortured and my family across the room?" He was baring his teeth at her and she couldn't find it in her to be frightened of him anymore, she was too fucking angry to care. "You'll get nothing from me you idiotic bastard."

Not surprisingly she was rewarded with more pain. Hissing she shook her head rebelliously. The only thing that had gotten her through the soul brushing was her stubborn streak. He had no idea that Kara had given her this willingly. He didn't know that was part of it. She refused to do the same, no matter what it cost her. She realized in that instant that to save the kingdom, and her people, she would even give up her sister. It was a sobering thought. "You'll have to kill us all because I'll be damned if you I'll let you have what you want."

"You think this is torture?" More pain. She was starting to think she couldn't process much more. "You have no idea what I am capable of!"

"I know exactly what your capable of." She raised her head again. "Your capable of nothing but poor planning and botched executions. What are you going to do when I'm dead and you have nothing to show for it? You think the people of the O.Z. will bow to a man with less power than a quarter the mages living in our borders? One that assassinate the Gale line when we've kept peace in our realm for hundreds of years? A man with no claim to the throne and the tin men and royal guard out for his blood?" She smiled grimly at him. "The men you had are dead or dying as we speak. You have no leverage over me but pain and I assure you I've been in far more than this for a greater amount of time. So what are you going to do now? You have nothing. You're worth less than nothing." Grinning maliciously at him she drove her verbal assault home. "You're a zero."

His face was red with rage. "Enough! You will give me what I mine!"

She turned her face away from in dismissal. She knew that what she said next would be the end of her but she could feel Raw getting closer. She couldn't let him have Kara's gift. She'd stalled for as long as she could. Perhaps her family would be ok. "Never."

"No!" Both her parents screamed as dark energy began to lance off him. She stared over at them without emotion. Her mind had gone still as she accepted the fact that in some small way she had won.

"I will have the seers gift!" Violet eyes flashed in confusion and for once she met them steadily as the man beside her went into a rage. "If I have to cut you and your family up into tiny pieces slowly than so be it! She was never meant to brush you!" The queen's eyes went wide with horrified understanding. "_Her soul was mine! I will have it now!_"

She heard the sound of doors smashing open and a bitter wind swept through the hall. Her head spun over her shoulder in time to see the Tin Man raise his gun and shoot at the mage behind her only to be jostled to the side by one of his men who had run at the doors. She ducked as the gun went off and heard a snarled curse as the mage's magic flared and he tumbled back to the floor next to her. The once empty room was plunged into chaos as the remaining guards flooded into the hall and clashed with the mage's men. Twisting as best she could she tried once more to get her hands free as she saw the mage begin to sit up as blood seeped out of his shoulder. At least Cain had hit him.

Pure fury flashed over his features. Scooting back her injured back hit something warm and solid and her eyes darted behind her. Jeb grabbed her right wrist and shouted at her over the noise. "Stay still!" A metal wire and a small knife flashed in his fingers and she realized he was trying to pick the lock that held the manacles in place. Her head flew back in time to see the mage raise his hand toward the teenager and she made a fast choice.

"Down, Jeb!" She threw herself over him backward and focusing harder than she ever had let her light flare out. A weak shield formed between them and the blast of energy as her wrist sizzled. Gritting her teeth she felt the remainder of the magic hit them like an electric shock and heard Wyatt's son yelp even as he twisted madly to hang onto the chains.

"Apparently your family was the wrong bait!" He stalked toward them with dark sparks flying from him as he raised his hand toward the young blond behind her.

"Apparently." Wyatt's voice was dry as he suddenly materialized to their right. His gun was raised and he pulled the trigger as the mage turned to look at him. Raising one hand he cast a reversal spell and she screamed in horror. The bullet that had been heading toward his chest ricocheted off the magic and flew back at Cain. Ice blue eyes widened and he staggered back as the lock on the manacle clicked open. Blood bloomed over the Tin Man's chest and he fell to his knees before slumping to the floor his gun clattering next to him.

"Dad!" Jeb's nearly hysterical scream filled her ears as her hand came loose. The teenager ran to his father's side as the mage smirked and she dragged the emerald out from under her shirt. It glowed green as fury like she'd never known roared through her. As she clutch the relic she demanded its unswerving obedience and heard it answer in a rush. The remaining chains holding her shattered with a metallic screech and she stood up. Body turning in surprise the mage saw her stand and the darkness formed a halo around him.

"Did I upset you, my beauty?" She saw a few of his remaining men running toward him to help, and raising her hand snapped the chain the emerald had been hanging on from around her neck. Palming it in her hand she raised her arm and let every bit of magic she possessed fly down her arm and through the gem. Dark magic snaked out fight it and clashed with a roaring bang. Everyone in the hall was hurled backward as the backlash smashed across the space. Her body remained rooted in place, unaffected, as the mage stumbled back.

Light was radiating off her dangerously as she stalked toward him. "Did you think I was lying about killing you at the ball, Zero? When you dared to threatened my family?" He was baring his teeth at her as he shoved both his arms out in front of him and called on all the darkness he possessed. "What did you think was going to happen when you came after _me_? I'm a _direct descendent_ of the first slipper. I have the power of a Gale and the gift of a viewer. Compared to me you're an incompetent beginner." Her light had begun to melt the mosaic tiles around her feet as the darkness bounced off it.

"You can't beat me today, my beauty." He hissed at her and she made a slicing motion with her hand.

"That would be another mistaken assumption on your part." Her magic intensified and she met his eyes levelly. "I'll see you in hell."

She didn't bother to control her light. She let it careen wildly out of control as it tore through the emerald and smashed into the mage and his men. His darkness burned away and he let out an enraged scream before they were all hurled away in a shower of blood and bone. The force of her spell had made them explode backward with sickening consequence. Ignoring the devastation she had created she turned her eyes back to the hall to find the fighting had stopped. Most of the men here were dead and Jeb was huddled over his father with blood covering his hands as Raw rushed to them.

Her voice was ferocious as she regarded the remaining men. "Drop your weapons now or I will tear you limb from limb slowly!" Weapons fell to the floor and the guards captured the fighters that surrendered.

She started toward Wyatt, her heart cold as ice, when she heard her name. "DG!" The consort was suddenly in front of, in her way, and she waved her hand. He was tossed backward toward her mother and without much thought she shattered the chains holding the queen to the floor.

Her viewer looked up at her with his gloved hand firmly over the Tin Man's wound, his gift pulsing. "Must get to coast." She sucked in a breath and her eyes darted between Raw and Wyatt's white face. He was still alive. "_DG!_" Her friend didn't allow her any sort of respite. "Now! Cannot keep alive for long! Must have help!"

Bending down she caught Cain under one shoulder as Raw grabbed the other. Jeb was next to her instantly as she staggered and he pushed her out of the way as they hauled his father off the ground. "Outside!" She followed them quickly as they carried him and when they were at the door she turned back to look at her family briefly. Ambrose was over her sister and patting her face as she groaned back into consciousness.

She caught sight of her parents and tossed the emerald to the consort who caught it on instinct. Her mother was staring at her with a cross between revulsion and dismay and she used what magic she had left to call down a travel storm. "Deeg!" Jeb called agitatedly to her from the snow-covered shore and she backed away from them.

As she passed through the doors she yelled at the advisor. "Ambrose, tell her I said goodbye." Toffee eyes locked on hers and she saw regretful understanding in them. "Take care of her." Then the twister fell over them and they were gone.

Author Note: Was it good? Are you excited? I love fight scenes! You know it, I know it! Woo! Now I have to write a paper….


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I might be willing to trade Jeb….

He floated out of the darkness slowly. At first he simply allowed himself to drift, content with the fact that he was warm. Then his memory began to return in brief flashes and he forced his eyes open. The last thing he remembered was Deeg chained to the floor, bleeding badly, and doing her best to keep her body in front of Jeb. Panic flashed through him as his heart rate skyrocketed. They might both be dead.

A small oil lamp illuminated the unfamiliar room and he saw Deeg sitting listlessly in an old wooden chair next to him and relaxed slightly. Her hand was wrapped loosely around his fingers and she looked as if she hadn't slept in days as she gazed blankly out a window. He didn't know what time it was but it was pitch black outside. "Sweetheart?"

Her head twisted around so fast he thought she might spin it off her neck. "Wyatt?" Her voice was hoarse as she practically fell out of the chair so she could get closer to him. He tried to sit up as she hit her shins on the side of the bed and his chest twinged painfully. She put a hand on his shoulder and held him still. "Go slow. You'll rip your skin open." Her voice didn't sound right.

Questions started spouting from him so fast she didn't have time to answer him between them. "Deeg? What happened? Where's Jeb? Is he hurt? Are you hurt? Where are we?"

She squeezed his hand and pulled it to her lips. "Jeb's fine, Wyatt. He's sleeping. I need go get him."

He grunted tiredly and began to sit up more slowly this time. Without a word she wrapped her arm around his back and helped prop him up against the headboard. He looked toward the door then back at her, she was awfully pale. "Don't wake him up."

Deeg looked into his eyes and he saw such fear in them that he tried to tug her closer to him. She resisted and put his hand on her cheek as her lip quivered briefly. "Wyatt, you've been unconscious for five days. We didn't know if you were going to wake up. I need to go get Jeb."

"Five days?" There was no way.

She gave him a watery smile and kissed his knuckles quickly. "I'll be right back. Don't get out of bed, ok?" He nodded and she stood and moved out of the room quickly. He touched his chest and felt pain radiating sluggishly out from where he'd been shot with his own bullet. He really hadn't been expecting that. That made him an idiot. Noting the place he'd been hit he realized he shouldn't be alive. He should have bled out in five minutes tops. He really wanted to know what had happened.

As his arm dropped back to his side the door burst back open and his son tumbled through it with his shirt half buttoned followed closely by a worried looking Deeg. She caught Jeb's arm as he started to tumble to the side and he saw pain flare in her eyes as he regained his balance. His son touched her hand briefly in thanks before he was beside the bed. "Dad?

"Hey, Jeb." His son gave him a relieved smile and squeezed him in a one armed hug.

"You're awfully hypocritical about not getting shot. You scared the hell out of us."

"Sorry." Jeb snorted and Deeg sank back into the chair silently. Her eyes had closed off and she clasped her hands together as she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "What happened?"

"After you got shot Deeg kinda…" His girl dropped her eyes away from them and he saw her retreat internally. Real worry began to build in him as his son continued. "Well, she killed the mage. Raw got to you fast enough to stop the bleeding from getting out of control but he couldn't heal you enough to keep you kicking for long. She brought us to his village. There's more than one healer here." He glanced quickly out the window. So they were on the coast, in the Furball's village, ok. "They patched you up as best they could but couldn't tell if you'd make it. Raw said if you woke up you'd be all right."

"And I've been out for five days?" He wanted to make sure. His head was reeling a bit much for his taste. He hated that his thought process wasn't keeping up with the situation. Was this how Deeg felt when she was drained?

"Yeah. There's been a healer in here every few hours trying to fix you."

"That's mighty friendly of them." He eyed his son critically. He had a heck of bruise around his left eye. He vaguely recalled their last few minutes outside the palace doors. "Why didn't they patch you up? Or do you like the shiner?"

His son shook his head. "The viewers have been using all their energy on you. We'll be ok."

"We?" His eyes darted to Deeg.

She had turned back to him as he and his son talked. "I'm fine."

He growled at her, he'd heard the way she'd been screaming; he'd seen the blood. His anger over letting her get hurt so badly along with her disregard for the condition she was in set his temper off. He was shouting at her before he could think things through properly. "He was torturing you! You are not fine!"

"And you were dying! I think it was worth the slight sacrifice on my part!" She stood up abruptly and left the room. The door slammed shut behind her and Jeb flinched.

"Did you have to yell at her?" His son was frowning at him as he shoved him back down on the bed. He'd unconsciously tried to go after her. "The last few days haven't been all that great for her."

He growled in annoyance. "What the hell happened Jeb? I want details!"

His son sighed unhappily. "The way she killed the mage wasn't pretty. He ended up covering most of the wall and ceiling along with four of his men that ran at us when their magic hit. It didn't help matters much that he told her parents she'd been soul brushed while we were fighting to get to the main hall." He let out a long sigh of his own. That couldn't have gone down well.

"Yeah." Jeb seemed to be of the same mind. She must have told him what that meant while he was out. "The queen looked at her like she was the most repulsive thing she's ever seen right before Deeg called the travel storm down on us. Then the viewers were trying so hard to heal you that she didn't dare say anything about how bad she was hurt. I've been doing my best to keep her cuts clean, at least when she lets me, but she's going to have to let Raw look at her soon. She's barely been able to move since we got here and the one time she managed to fall asleep I had to wake her up because she started screaming." He paused momentarily. "You know she apologized for waking me up? She was in a cold sweat and apologized."

He cursed and Jeb patted his arm. "You couldn't have known."

"And that makes it better?"

Lip twitching his son answered. "Not really. But you waking up does."

Reaching up he gripped his son's arm. "Are you hurt? Other than your eye?"

"I have a few more bruises but nothing bad."

He nodded briefly then stared Jeb straight in the eye. "You did good. I'm proud of you."

His son shrugged but saw pride in his eyes. "All I did was pick a lock."

Huffing in amusement he eyed his boy. "While being shot at by bullets and magic. You didn't do so bad in the fight before that either. You can sure keep your head under pressure."

"Thanks, Dad." Jeb stood up and jerked his thumb toward the door. "I'll go get Deeg, then I'm going back to sleep. It's been a long couple of days." He shot him an eerily familiar stern glance. "Be nice this time."

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Jeb."

Several extremely long minutes later Jeb gently guided a distraught looking princess back into the small room and shut the door behind her. Deeg stood there looking at the floor silently. He noticed she was favoring her left leg pretty heavily. Catching sight of her face he realized she was on the verge of tears. Guilt swamped him. His girl had been through hell and he had yelled at her. No doubt she'd been with him nearly every minute since they'd gotten here. She'd been so relieved he woke up and he'd been nothing but nasty.

He held his arm toward her and beckoned her to him. "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Come here." She shook her head stubbornly with her arms crossed over her chest and he shoved the blanket that was covering him away as he began to toss his leg over the side of the bed. Panic flashed over her face and she was suddenly next to him and holding him down. Pleased that had worked he grabbed her hips and tugged her carefully onto the bed next to him.

Despite how gentle he had been she hit the bed and let out a sharp cry of pain. He frowned in alarm and froze as she twisted out of his grip. Tears filled her eyes and she turned her face away from him as her shoulders hunched up. He kicked himself at his own stupidity. "How bad are you hurt?"

"Not as bad as you."

He saw a small bloodspot on her back and then the lines of bandages under her shirt. "I'm not so sure about that." Turning her around so her back was facing him he caught the bottom of her shirt and began to pull it up. Reaching around she tried to get him to let go and caught her arms only to have her hiss again. Letting his hands relax he pushed one of her sleeves up and saw thick red burn all the way around her wrist.

His eyes flashed to hers in horror and she mumbled. "The manacles burned me when I used my magic."

"Take your shirt off, Sweetheart. I need to see your back."

She squirmed away. "I'll have Raw fix me tomorrow after he wakes up, I promise."

"That's good to hear." He wrapped his arm around her waist and slid her back to him. "Shirt off." Taking hold of her hem he started to lift it again. "Arms up." Reluctantly she put her hands over her head and he carefully pealed the fabric up and over her. He took one look at her back and froze. Bandages wrapped around her from right below her shoulder blades to the small of her back. He could see that Jeb hadn't been lying when he mentioned her reluctance to let him look after her. Her bandages hadn't been changed in at least a day, though his son had done a good job with them. There was blood seeping through them in places.

He tried to keep his voice calm as he spoke. "I need to change your bandages or we need to get Raw right now."

Her shoulders slumped and magic sparked sluggishly next to his hip. He guessed she was unwilling to wake Furball up. He would place odds on the fact that he was as drained as she had ever been. Moving slowly he spread his legs and urged her to sit between them. Once she was settled with her left leg out at an angle, he was going to look at that in a second, he started to unwrap her. What was under the bandages made his blood boil.

Her back was slashed up nearly as bad as her hands had been after she fought with the demon. Blood started welling out of a few of the slashes when he removed the bandages and the scabs that had started to form over them weren't nearly as abundant as they should have been after almost a week. He had a feeling the magic may have had something to do with that. "Oh, sweet thing." His voice dropped. "You've been like this the whole time?" He ran his hand over her uninjured side as she stared mutely back at the door.

Picking up some ointment and a cloth he began to dab at the cuts starting at the top. He saw her grip the sheets in her hand, though no sound escaped her. Working quickly he dropped the cloth and snatched up the bandages. She let the death grip she had on the blankets go and raised her arms so he could wind them around her. Once he was done she let out a shaky breath and stiffly pulled her shirt back over her head. He kissed her neck and rubbed her ribs with his hand. "Let's see your leg."

"I sprained my ankle. It's wrapped." Her voice was strained. He had no doubt that she was in a significant amount of pain. She wasn't lying though.

"Ok." Pulling her backward until she was snug between his hips he wrapped his arm around her waist. She kept her back rigid and bent forward. He kissed her neck again. "You're not goin' to hurt me. Lean back, Darlin'."

Moving even more slowly than he had she let her injured back rest on his recently shot chest. They really made quite the pair. Deeg tucked her head under his chin as she wrapped her arms over his. "You scared me, Wyatt."

"I know." He ran his hand through her hair as he laid his head over hers. "I'm sorry."

Rubbing her hands over his arms she turned her head a kissed him tenderly. "It's not your fault. Thank you. You saved me. Again."

"From what Jeb said you did more than your share of savin'."

"I didn't do anything." Her voice broke with exhaustion as she hid her face back under his jaw. He was sure between the fear, a magic drain, and lack of sleep she'd reached her breaking point. "I thought you were going to die and I couldn't help you at all. You were bleeding everywhere and Jeb was terrified and all I could do was hold him back so he wouldn't get in the way. He must hate me."

"That's ridiculous. Jeb doesn't hate you. He thinks you're brave and wonderful." She was unnaturally silent. Rubbing his forehead against her hair he murmured seriously. "Five days is too long to go without sleep, Deeg."

"I've gone longer than five days without it."

That was completely illogical. "Because you couldn't sleep. Because you were hurt."

"You were hurt." Ah. She had been afraid he was going to fade away if she left him alone. As if he would have let himself leave her.

Brushing her hair away from her face he kissed her temple. "I promise not to go anywhere." He caught her hands to still them. "Please sleep for me?" She nodded into his shoulder and twisted so she could curl up against him on her side as they sat there. He made sure he wasn't touching her anywhere he could hurt her and closed his eyes. He was tired even if he had been asleep for days.

The next thing he was aware of was the sound of something creaking. His eyes snapped open and flew across the length of the room to land on the viewer. Raw rumbled in relief when he saw he was awake and then turned his attention to the woman wrapped protectively in his arms. She was sleeping deeply against his chest and the Furball sat in the old chair Deeg had taken residence in the day before.

"Tin Man awake at last." His voice was no more than a low whisper. "Wasn't sure for a time. Afraid to tell DG and Jeb. Knew anyway. Kept son calm for many days."

He ran a hand over her hair and she sighed in her sleep. "She needs to be healed."

The Furball nodded. "Would have healed today even if Tin Man had not woken. Infection started to set in when suns set yesterday."

He hissed quietly at him. "And you didn't fix her then?"

Raw shrugged. "DG would have stopped. Knew she would live for many days with fever. Had no guarantee Cain would live through next hour. Raw waiting until too tired to fight anymore." He slumped backward into the headboard and she began to murmur agitatedly as she cuddled into him. "Is not how pack sister wanted to bring Tin Man here."

He raised an eyebrow before glancing down at her and rocking her gently. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Wanted to talk to Cain alone. Wanted to explain. To give choice. Too late now. Pack has felt connection. Must decide or leave."

He narrowed his eyes. "A choice in what? What do I need to decide?"

The viewer sighed. "DG has chosen Tin Man as mate. Tribe has felt this. Lylo will offer to make Cain part of pack."

"So I have to agree?" The viewer nodded. He was confused. He knew practically nothing about viewer tradition, no one did. "And if I don't?"

"DG has chosen. Mate most important. Proved by bringing, by refusing healing gift, by taking care of son. Pack sees, pack knows, pack accepts. If mate refuses to be part of tribe then both must leave. Mixed loyalty dangerous. This tribe cannot have."

He glanced down at her. "She won't be allowed back?"

"Can visit. Cannot stay. Not allowed to share secrets or be active member. Will have to leave."

"So you'll force her off the same as her parents."

He saw regret in the viewers eyes. "This is our way. No shame in this choice. No bad feelings. Not like queen and consort."

He wasn't that keen on making her do that. To give up the one steady thing she'd had in the last few years. He wasn't going to let her go either. He'd picked her as much as she'd picked him. "What do I have to do?"

The viewer made an odd purring noise. "Must be read by Lylo. Must make oath to keep pack safe if danger comes. Must agree to help if needed."

His girl shifted fretfully and he stroked her hair, whispering soothingly into her ear until she settled back into a more peaceful sleep. Deeg had made these promise. She had sworn to help them, to be a part of what they were. She had agreed, and in return they had taken her in without question. They had healed him, using all the power they had, without restraint. They had kept his son safe because she had asked. They had been the only thing like family she'd had for years. "When do I have to do this?"

Standing the Furball put a hand on his girls shoulder. "When both healed."

He met dark eyes steadily. "Patch her up then." The viewer's lip twitched as he rocked Deeg awake. She lurched backward and he held her so she wouldn't fall on her back. "You're safe, Sweetheart." She blinked rapidly and he knew she hadn't gotten near enough sleep but she needed to be seen to. "Time to let Furball heal ya."

Nodding blearily she held out her hands to Raw. The fact that she didn't fight or sit away from him told him how much pain she must be in. He reached up and massaged her neck as the viewer placed his fingertips over her first wrist. As he watched her burns fade away to slightly red skin he was amazed at the depth of loyalty she had to him as well as his son.

She had been taking care of Jeb as much as him over the last few days. He knew it wouldn't be long before she let herself feel what had happened. She had nothing to focus on now. All the things she had been repressing while the threat of the mage was looming over them would come calling.

Soon the sting of loss would hit her. She would need to grieve for her uncle. His girl would need to come to terms with the fact that she couldn't go home again. She'd have to accept the fact that seeing her sister again would be difficult, if not downright impossible. She'd need to sort out being held down and tortured. Not to mention the violent death she had inflicted on her enemy.

But, he reasoned, there were good thing too. He would join her pack. He'd take her back to the city, once he was sure it was safe, and show her that she had a new home. They could finally talk about what she had whispered into his shoulder so many nights ago when she thought he'd been sleeping. He'd be able to introduce her to his friends. He was pretty certain they would like her.

For now he would let her rest and forget. They both needed that. Space from everything and time with each other. He would worry about the rest…later. When they were ready. Raw met his eyes as Deeg scooted around so he could see to her back and nodded. Later then. He could wait. Kissing her forehead he leaned back and did just that. Sometimes that's all you could do.

Author Note: I know the big fight is over but this story still has a couple chapters left. Honest! That's what Fred told me! (Points to plot bunny lounging on shoulder).


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: Ok, I'm giving Jeb to Queen Isabella. Clearly she needs him more than me. Have fun!

The Tin Man pulled the truck into a small space between two neatly kept houses and threw it in park. "Finally!" Jeb hurled the door open, narrowly missing the white brick on one of the houses, as he scrambled out.

Cain rolled his eyes and opened his door much more deliberately. Extending his hand he caught hers and helped her down out of the cab as she smiled at the teenager. "You've only been in the truck for two hours. Stop acting like I've kept you strapped in there for days."

Grinning, his son snatched his pack out of the bed of the truck and sauntered up to the door on their left. She had managed to get their things that had been left at the Ice Palace while Cain was unconscious. She had needed a distraction at the time and she and Jeb had needed to change. Her possessions didn't amount to much but at this point but she didn't care. She'd been too excited the last few days to care about anything other than the fact that the Tin Man was alive and well.

Wyatt had somehow made things even better by choosing to join the Coastal Tribe. He had practically dragged her to Lylo once they were both stable enough to stand. After the older viewer had read Cain, and she claimed him as her mate, they had both collapsed in bed and slept for nearly sixteen hours. Granted she had woken them up twice with her nightmares but they had fallen back asleep quickly enough.

When they woke up the last time they found that the Tin Man wasn't the only one that had been adopted. Jeb was walking around with Kalm on his shoulders as the females laughed at his antics. Cain was rubbing his chest absently as they both blinked sleep out of their eyes. "Jeb part of tribe." Raw walked over to them and handed them some fruit to munch on.

"Of course he is." The Tin Man cracked his neck and she wrinkled her nose at him. "He could charm his way into anything."

The viewer chuckled. "Tribe likes. Much happiness today. Feels DG has made right choice."

Her lip twitched. "It's good to know I get approval from somewhere." She felt a brief stab of emotion; sorrow mixed up with guilt and anger, and pushed it down. This was too good a day to feel bad.

With a yawn Wyatt tossed his arm over her shoulder and tugged her against his side. "What do you think, Furball? Is the city safe yet?"

"Have talked to Lylo. Safe for you to leave tomorrow."

He had kissed her temple and squeezed her gently. "Whenever your ready to go, Deeg." She knew he meant it and rubbed her hand up his back. She may have been comfortable here but she needed a change of scenery. In front of them Kalm tugged on Jeb's shaggy hair and sent him reeling to the side. Letting her go the Tin Man lunged forward and snatched the cub around the waist, saving him, as his own son tumbled to the ground. The laughter around the clearing increased as Cain swung the child around in the air and flipped him in a summersault before setting him on the ground.

Kalm bounced around the Tin Man happily and accidentally landed on Jeb who grimaced in pain as Wyatt caught the cub and hoisted him in the air again. Smirking down at his son he helped Raw's nephew flip again as Jeb rolled to his feet. He better not rip his wound open or she was going to kill him no matter how much Kalm liked him. Her friend chuckled next to her. "Good with cubs."

She smiled and leaned her shoulder against the viewers. "He's had practice."

"Will have more." Her head whipped around, eyes wide, and his chocolate eyes were warm. "Not yet." She relaxed slightly. There was no way she was ready for that yet. "Next summer maybe. Lylo sees. Must promise to tell Tin Man when sure."

"That takes some of the surprise out of it you know."

He shook his head seriously. "Not need more surprises. Need to be cautious."

"I will be."

The viewer rumbled softly. "Raw miss when leave."

She caught his hand and gripped it tightly. Raw was family. He was her best friend. She wasn't sure what to do without him. She'd been without her parents and sister for a long time; she'd never been without the viewer. "I'll miss you too. Will you come to visit us?"

"Yes, but DG be back soon." When she gave him a questioning glance he poked her stomach. "Will want to be with tribe." Thinking about that she knew he was right and nodded.

"Soon then?"

Turning her toward him he hugged her tightly. "Soon."

That had been yesterday. This morning they had left at dawn after another solid night of sleep and a round of farewells. It had taken most of her self-control not to cry when she waved goodbye to Raw one last time and stepped into the travel storm she had called. They had landed between the cabin and the truck and she congratulated herself on her marksmanship as Jeb cursed. Once he was stable they had piled into the truck and now here they were.

"Come on, Sweetheart." Drawing her after him he paused long enough to grab both their packs and trailed after his son. The door was wide open and she trotted up the steps leading to the door as she stared up at the house. It was built out of pale cream and white brick and had a green tiled roof and shutters. There was a flowering vine growing up one side of it and around the gutter that she brushed with her fingers while she appreciated the house.

It took her a second to realize the Tin man had stopped to give her time to study his home. Meeting his eyes she smiled and he grinned at her before dragging her inside. Laughing up at him he shut the door behind them and led her into the sitting room. It was spacious and had a wonderful airy feeling once he opened the pale blue curtains. The furniture looked comfortable and was upholstered in tan suede. It was lovely against the blue rug and molding of the room. "Your house is really nice."

He kissed her cheek, looking pleased, before nodding toward the doorway across from them. "You haven't seen the whole thing yet, Darlin'."

As they headed toward the back she heard rapid footsteps getting closer and then she could see the staircase. Jeb was racing down it with a bounce in his step and a much cleaner set of clothes. "My stuff's in my room. See you guys later."

He made it six inches past his father before Cain caught the back of his collar and dragged Jeb to him. The young man made a choking noise as he backpedaled so he wouldn't be strangled. "We just got home. Where do you think you're frolickin' off to?"

Rolling his eyes Jeb straightened his shirt. "As much as I love spending time with you I do have a social life." Wyatt snorted as his son continued. "I haven't seen any of my friends in months."

"Uhuh." The Tin Man eyed his son up and down. "So you're not runnin' off to see a certain red head then?"

Her eyebrow went up as Jeb gave his father the most pathetic puppy dog eyes she had ever seen. "A red head? Me?"

Growling dangerously he shook his son's neck once to get his full attention. "If Sarah's father comes callin' you won't get any help from me, in fact I might help him skin ya, so you'd best be a gentlemen. Got it?"

The teenager actually gulped at his father's tone and nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. Perfect gentlemen right here."

Wyatt eyed him until Jeb began to fidget. "Good. Be back by dark and pick up enough food for all of us at the bakery on your way home."

"Home by dark with food. Got it." Wyatt let him go and he was off like a shot. The door closed behind him and he shook his head in exasperation.

Her lip twitched. "Who's Sarah?"

Taking her hand again he started up the stairs with her behind him. "She's Tanner's daughter. They live a few blocks over."

"The tin man that Jeb helped?"

"That's the one." She suppressed a giggle at the thought of Jeb being hunted down by one of Wyatt's buddies. "They're a good lot and Sarah's got enough spunk for three people."

"Are they courting?"

"Not yet. I give it six months at the most."

They made it to the top floor and she grinned at him. "You sound pretty sure."

Pointing to the right he indicated one of the doors. "That's Jeb's room and I am sure. He's been in love with her since he was fifteen. He doesn't know it yet is all."

"That's cute." He darted an amused glance at her and kept them moving. He was going slow enough for her to satisfy her curiosity. He showed her the bathroom and a spare bedroom that had been turned into a small study before setting their things down in his room and kicked the door shut with his foot.

It was decorated with dark green bedding and pinewood furniture. At the foot of the bed was a trunk with a beautifully carved design over the lid. It was easy to see him spending his time here. He fit in the room. As she wandered to the window to take in the view he tossed his hat on the dresser before shrugging out of his coat and hanging it up in the wardrobe. "We need to get you some clothes tomorrow. I know you like those pants but two pairs are only going to last you so long."

Letting the drapes fall closed she turned back around and shifted her weight. For some reason the simple statement threw her. She didn't have any money. She wasn't sure if she even had her title anymore. It was within her mother's power to strip her of it. All she had were a few sets of clothes, a hairbrush, and her sketchpad. While it would be easy for her to use her magic to steal or sneak into the palace to get her old things she couldn't do that. It was wrong.

Stealing was against her nature and she had been banished from court. That meant legally nothing that was in it belonged to her anymore. So getting her old things was stealing too. She would need to get a job, which didn't bother her, but her only real skill set involved magic. If she used her light too much this close to the palace her parents might find her.

He caught sight of her nervous movements and held his hand out to her. She took it as he sat on the edge of the bed and dragged her to him. Moments later and she was sitting in his lap while he rubbed one of his hands up and down her back and watched her. "What's the matter? Do you not like it here?" He pushed her hair behind her shoulder as he asked.

Afraid she had upset him she made sure her eyes were on his. "Your home is wonderful, Wyatt."

"Our home." She glanced down and he caught her face so she was forced to look at him. Emotions cascaded over each other and she pressed her lips together while she nodded and stared up at the ceiling. She wasn't sure she could talk right now. She'd never been given something she wanted so badly before. "Deeg, this is your home too. Look at me." Slowly she lowered her eyes back to his. "This is _your_ home. No one is going to take it away from you." A tear slipped down her cheek without her consent and his thumb brushed it away. "Ok?"

Still unable to talk she caught his face with her hands and kissed him softly. All they'd done since he'd woken up two days ago was curl up together and sleep. Both of them had been too tired and hurt to do anything else. Desire rose up in her faster than she had thought possible and she pressed into his chest as she mumbled between kisses. "Need to feel you, Tin Man."

Groaning quietly into her mouth he held her closer against him before leaning her back so he could suck gently on the skin above her collar. As she tunneled her fingers through his hair his warm breath stirred against her neck and shoulders. "How do you need to feel me?"

Blushing at the question she pressed into him and hid her face in his hair as she answered. She hadn't been with him for over a week and in that time she had been terrified that he was going to leave her. She wanted to feel connected again. She needed to be with him again. "Close… Like the first time."

He must have understood what she was asking because he hummed into her neck and nipped her skin gently. "Soft and slow, Darlin'?"

She managed a shuddering reply. "Yes."

He bunched her shirt in his hands and took it off her a little at a time, watching as more and more of her skin was revealed. "You want me to take my time with you?" The shirt was gone and his eyes roved slowly up her body.

"No." His hands that had been creeping slowly up her ribs paused as he looked into her eyes. "I want us to take our time with each other."

"Ahhh." He smiled and kissed her warmly. "Sweet little thing." Moving slowly he stood them up and began to loosen her pants. In return she went after his holster as she kissed her way from the base of his neck to his jaw. As she dragged the leather off him he pushed her pants down and squeezed her bottom firmly. She sighed and rubbed herself against him as she began to unbutton his vest.

He chuckled lowly as she removed his shirt and grazed his ribs. She smiled into his chest. He was ticklish there. Keeping her against him with one arm he let his other hand slip beneath her panties and rub her teasingly. A small moan escaped her as she pressed into his fingers and began to loosen his pants. His eyes gleamed and he lifted her out of her pants and up against him.

She wrapped her legs around his waist when he pulled on her thigh. Carrying her a few feet to the dresser he set her on top of it. The second her bottom hit the wood his hand found the top of her panties and started taking them off her. She lifted her hips and let her legs fall from him long enough for him to remove them. While he was busy ridding her of the lace she grabbed his belt and tugged it loose. Her fingers were unbuttoning his pants when he grabbed her face and kissed her sensually. "I love you."

When he pulled back with a soft smile she was completely fixated on his open blue eyes. Bracing herself for the jump she'd been so afraid to make she caught his wrists and whispered the sentiment back. "I love you, Wyatt Cain." His breath hitched and he gathered her closer to him as a shiver ran down her.

When she pressed her lips back against his he caught the back of her neck and held her still as he explored her mouth. Her knees started to go weak and she was very happy she was sitting down and being held up. Breaking off he started mapping her skin with his lips as he moved down her body. Her own breathing shallowed when his hand glided up and traced the underside of her breast with his warm hands. Running her hands through his blond hair she guided him down and felt him smile against her skin before taking her nipple in his mouth and sucking gently. Gasping she wrapped her legs over his fabric covered hips and tried to drag him closer.

He teased her until she couldn't take anymore and she moaned at him as she tried the get his pants off him. "Not enough." She pushed her hand between them and wrapped her fingers around him firmly. The second she rubbed him he let out a low groan and untangled her so he could rid himself of the rest of his clothing.

Sliding her to the edge of the wood he rubbed her legs slowly before thrusting up into her. Crying out at the feeling of being filled she wrapped her arms and legs around him in an effort to get him closer. One of his hands shot to the lip of the dresser and his other twisted around her and cupped her backside as he pushed into her again. Pleasure raced up and down her spine as he moved in her and then his mouth was back and sucking on her bottom lip.

Lifting his head blue eyes locked on hers and he swiveled his hips as he bottomed out in her. She let out a muffled wail and arched into him. "This is what its like to be home, Sweetheart." His low whisper sent shivers down her spine and she ran her nails down his back.

Nipping at her neck he buried himself in her and stared into her eyes. This was so intimate. It was exactly what she had wanted. What she'd been wanting for so long. "Wyatt!" In a daze from the sensations her legs curled up higher over his hips. The hand that had been holding her slid around between them and he stroked her clit with his thumb.

Circling her center firmly he watched her as she began to buck and her eyes fell closed. "Deeg." She whimpered at him and he kissed her again. "Open your eyes for me."

At his gruff request they fluttered open. Rubbing his forehead against hers he pressed her clit down she felt him rub against her sensitive spot as he pushed all the way into her. She mewled and tightened her arms around his shoulders as they stared at each other. Swiveling his hips once more sent her to the point of no return and her entire body seized around him as a sharp keen was ripped from her throat. Her orgasm was so strong she nearly blacked out. While she trembled and swayed from the mass of sensations radiating through her body the Tin Man crushed her against him and let go with a loud shout.

He slumped forward as he held her flat against his chest and gripped at the dresser to keep himself upright. Both of them were gasping in heaving breaths as she felt him slowly softening inside of her. Unwilling to let him go she clung to him and pressed her face against his shoulder. After a long minute his hand rubbed up her spine and he straightened back up. Hand flowing from her back to her knee he massaged her leg and slowly unhooked it from around him so he could fall out of her. Whimpering from the feeling of emptiness she turned her head and kissed his jaw. "I'll be back inside you soon, Darlin'." She sighed as he slid her off the wood and walked them back to the bed.

Stretching her out over the blankets he lay down next to her and threw his arm over her waist. Wiggling up farther on the bed she laid her head over the small pink scar above his heart while keeping her back to the mattress. Her skin was covered in long pink scars. She found it less than attractive and didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she hadn't finished healing yet.

Feeling his heart beating steadily under her palm was the most comforting thing she had ever experienced and pushed the thought of recovering from her head. His hand moved up and started stroking her hair and she pressed back into his hand with a pleased coo. A chuckle rumbled through his chest at her response and she smiled into his skin.

The sun had started to shift across the room before either of them tried to move again. She thought it was lunchtime, at least her stomach did. Sitting up she tugged on his arm and he muttered under his breath as he tried to get her to lay back down. "We've been in bed for days. I'm hungry. Is there food here or do we have to wait for Jeb to get back?"

"Did you work up an appetite?" His eyes sparked with satisfied amusement.

"Yup, and if you want me to work up another one you better feed me." Getting out of the bed she gathered their clothes up and tossed his on his legs with a grin.

He laughed behind her and got up. His arm snaked around her from behind once they were dressed and his hot breath blew over her ear. "Fair enough, Deeg. After your full I'm going to work you up against the wall nice and hard." She shivered and he kissed the nape of her neck. "Ready to search the cupboards, sweet thing?" Then he was opening the door and walking out. "I thought you were hungry." Shaking her head she followed him and hoped it wouldn't take long to find food.

Author Note: Tralalalala.


	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: Quickly resetting trap… Surely they'll come looking for Jeb?

Deeg was swinging her legs as she sat on the counter and he dug through the pantry. He was sure his girl was thoroughly entertained as he muttered under his breath and started shuffling cans around. He always kept a few things handy before he left but the pickings were pretty slim. They were going to have to get more than clothes for Deeg tomorrow. Food would be nice too. Lifting a can out he smirked triumphantly and handed it to her before diving back in.

"Hey, Wyatt?" He heard her suppressed laughter and grunted. "As good as peaches sound right now I'd rather not have to gnaw the can open with my teeth." His head popped out and she laughed before catching his face and dragging him close enough to peck him on the lips. "Do you have a can opener?"

His lip twitched as he watched her. Deeg was genuinely happy as she tossed the can back and forth between her hands. "In the drawer under you." Smiling brilliantly she set the can down and lifted her legs so she could slide the drawer open. He went back to his search and heard her triumphant call after a moment of clattering. He emerged with his own can of fruit and shut the pantry door before leaning against it. She handed him the can opener when she was done with it before her eyebrows drew together and she began to contemplate the numerous cabinets and drawers around the kitchen.

Shaking his head he set his now open can down and tugged open the drawer between them. He handed her a fork and got one of his own before sliding it closed again. She'd learn where everything was fast enough. "Thank you."

Caressing her cheek with the back of his hand he smiled. "Your welcome, Darlin'." She hummed happily and started eating. He admired her as she ate thinking nothing near as pretty as her had been in his kitchen in years. He was at the bottom of the can when there was a pounding knock at his front door. Deeg nearly jumped out of her skin she was so surprised and flashed white before catching herself. He knew it was going to take her a long time to stop reacting so violently when she was startled after the last couple of weeks.

He heard the door open and shook his head as he rubbed her leg calmly. Only two other people had a key to the house and Jeb wouldn't bother knocking. He added getting another key to his mental list. She was going to need one. "Cain?" A booming shout echoed from the front room and he gave her a reassuring pat. "I know you're here! Your boy's been flirting with my daughter for a good three hours now."

He always knew his son was going to suffer an early death by way of bullet. It was only a matter of time before Tanner killed him. "Kitchen!" He heard footsteps approaching and his girl set down the remainder of her food.

"Got something for you." The voice got closer. "It was delivered to the station. I would love to know what a deeg is." The kitchen door swung open and a tall man with a head full of wavy red hair walked in. His green gaze found him before locking onto the woman sitting on the counter next to him. Rusty eyebrows popped up and his girl smiled tentatively.

He smirked and jerked his thumb at her. "That's a Deeg."

Seeing the wicked gleam in his friend's eyes he knew he was in for a hell of an interrogation later on. Walking forward he shifted the papers into his left hand before extending the right one to his girl. "It's nice to meet you. I'm David Tanner."

"The pleasure's mine, Mr. Tanner." He didn't flinch at her cultured answer, he had known it was going to be downright impossible to get her to change habits and responses that had been drilled into her head since birth, but Tanner had worked around the palace on occasion. He caught the slightly strange wording and his eyes took her in more closely as he stepped back.

"Its just Dave." She smiled a bit more naturally. "Where'd he find a pretty thing like you?"

She blushed slightly. "Finaqua. I worked in the garage."

"You're a mechanic?"

Deeg had gotten his attention but she kept to the story they had made up easily enough. "Yes, I'm good with machines."

"Maybe we should get you down to the station to look at a few of our cars." Those things never did last long with the way they were treated. "Does your family live near the lake?"

"No, they live on the western coast north of Whitefall."

"How'd you get all the way to Finaqua?"

"Cut the girl some slack, Tanner. She's only been here four hours." He decided a distraction was in order. "Why would the station get something for me?"

"No idea. I didn't open it." He handed him a thick white envelope with his name written on it. On top of the package was another letter with his name and below that a small note indicating that it should go to Deeg. Quirking his eyebrow up he handed the smaller envelope to her. Her eyes scanned the writing and instead of opening it she tucked it into her pocket.

He wasn't going to ask her who it was from in front of Tanner, who he could see was getting more suspicious by the moment, and tossed his own package on the counter next to her hip. He could read it later. He was worried it might be some sort of summons to court and he needed to work out how to avoid getting dragged up there once they were alone. He wasn't taking her back to the palace unless she wanted to go, which he found highly unlikely, and if it was royal order to have him bring her they were going to have to leave the city again.

He could see a slight amount of curiosity in Dave's face but the other man apparently had more pressing questions he wanted answered than what was in some mail that had been misdirected to the station. "I've been hearing some strange rumors I thought you could straighten out for me. Something about a rogue mage and the city getting invaded." The pointed sarcasm had his lip twitching. "Thought you might know something about that seeing as your boy told me you sent him to find out was happening and you worked for the duke."

Beside him Deeg tensed as her mask went up. They hadn't talked about that and he had a feeling she was on the verge of a breakdown but he hadn't wanted to push her with so many viewers around them. He figured she deserved some privacy when that happened, and as hospitable as the empaths were, they'd feel everything. He knew she wouldn't want that. Raw was one thing the entire village was another.

He readied himself for a verbal assault. He'd been expecting this and he didn't mind it coming from Dave. They'd been friends long enough for him to enjoy this more than he didn't. Deeg picked up on the shift between them instantly and jumped off the counter. "I'm going to go read my letter. Do you care if I invade your study?" She pointed up at the ceiling.

He was going to have to drive home the point that she didn't need to ask later. "Go ahead, Deeg." Shooting Tanner a small smile along with a wave of farewell she walked calmly from the room and shut the kitchen door behind her.

When he turned back he found Dave leaning up against a wall with his eyebrow cocked up. "We're getting back to that in a minute." He jerked his thumb at the door. Looking more solemn he asked. "What happened after your boy tore out of the city? All I know is that we were fighting hit and run for almost a week then that mage disappears with all his men. We thought it was a trick for a while. Then the royal family's back and there's a state funeral for the man you were working for. We were afraid you were dead too."

"What? Couldn't drag the information out of Jeb?" He was fairly impressed with his son at the moment.

"Your boy's smarter than you. He's using my daughter as a shield."

He chuckled before his humor faded. "To make a long story short the mage kidnapped and killed the duke. Then he attacked the royal family at the Ice Palace and got himself killed. We left after that."

Dave stared at him. "Don't give me that bull, Cain. I'm not stupid and I heard some of the guards that made it back talking in one of the pubs." Damn, that made things more difficult. "From what they said the only one that made a mark on that lunatic was the queen's youngest. She did a fair job on him too if what they said was even close to being true. Never thought I'd hear a good thing about that girl. Not with the history she's got."

"You know rumors are about as reliable as the people that spread 'em. The princess isn't as unstable as the say." He met his friend's eyes levelly. If he was going to tell Dave who had left his kitchen he wanted to be damn sure it was safe. He wasn't going to put Deeg in a precarious position. Her safety was too important. "She did right by her people. Came back to fight and killed him."

Green eyes glinted. "And then ran off with a wounded man, a viewer, and a teenager while bleeding so bad she could barely stand." He kept his face blank. "At least that's what I heard. Is that true too?" Dave's gaze slowly moved over his face. "Or was it the little mechanic that did that?"

He'd been caught and faster than he thought possible. "Might be that both are true."

Tanner may have guessed but he could tell by the look of shock on his face that he hadn't expected to have his hunch confirmed. "Your serious?" His eyes shot up to the ceiling then back to his calm face. "Wyatt…" Clearly his friend was trying to get a grip on what he had learned. "You brought one of the princess' back here? Do you have any idea what the queen and consort could do to you if they found out?"

He grunted. "They won't come lookin' for her."

Tanner hissed at him. "That is their daughter! Of course they'll look for her."

Sighing sadly he glanced back up at the ceiling. "No. They won't." Searching his face the other tin man was about to ask so he went ahead and told him, at least the edited version. "Her parents don't want anything to do with her. She was leaving the Outer Zone. I asked her if she wanted to come with me instead and she did."

There was a pause and then his friend snorted out a laugh. His eyebrow twitched up which only caused Dave to snort all the harder. "You-" A burst of laughter was torn from him. "Sweet Ozma, Wyatt! You've got the youngest princess staying in your guest bedroom?"

"No." Shaking with mirth Tanner waited. "She's staying in mine."

The other man smacked his hand over his face as a muffled bark of laughter made it past his palm. "Of course she is. Because after four years of pushing off all advances by every other woman you go and fall for a crazed princess. I swear you've got more backbone than any man I've ever met."

"She's not crazy." His voice had hardened and Dave glanced up. "The only thing she is, is hurt and grieving for her uncle."

His friend studied his face for a long few seconds as his laughter faded away. "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd pick someone else." He shook his head slowly. "Ok, you say she's not crazy I'll believe you. Why don't you two come over for lunch tomorrow? I'm sure Sarah and Mari would like to meet her." It went unsaid that he wouldn't mention his girl's origins. There was a reason they got on.

"Should I bring Jeb or leave him cuffed to something?" There was no way they were going to go to Tanner's house without his son trailing after them unless he was restrained.

The other man shook his head as he clapped him on the shoulder in farewell. "You say that like he won't already be there from breakfast." He let out a humorous sigh as Tanner chuckled and headed to the door. "I wasn't worried until Sarah stopped threatening to kill him more than three times a day. I'm never going to get rid of him now." There wasn't anything but amused acceptance in his voice. "She could have done worse than your boy I suppose."

His eyes twinkled as his friend left. Scooping up the envelope as the front door closed he started up the stairs. The door to his small office was nearly closed and he knocked once before pushing it open. He was fast enough to see her hand swiping under her eyes and stopped on the threshold. His girl's eyes were brimming with tears as she gazed blankly over at him clutching at a piece of paper. "Did your friend leave?"

He walked over to where she was curled up in the small chair in front of the desk. Setting the envelope down again he crouched down next to her and rubbed her arms. "He did, Darlin'. He invited us over for lunch tomorrow. He wants you to meet his wife and daughter."

"That was nice of him." She was trying to smile for him and failing rather miserably.

"What was in the letter?" How her family managed to make her this upset when they weren't anywhere near her was beyond him.

"Az said that she didn't know where you lived so they sent the letter and uncle Liam's will to the station. She thought it would get to you faster that way."

"His will?" He glanced over at his mail then back to her as she nodded.

"We missed his funeral." She gulped quickly. "Not that I could have gone anyway. Apparently mother wants to talk to me. You know that can't be good." She began to shake as she fought back her emotions. "They're going to make me leave the O.Z. I don't want to leave, Wyatt." He actually saw panic flash across her face and tugged her out of the chair and into his chest. She hadn't been this afraid when she was chained to floor at the palace. He could only assume it was due to the fact that she could remember being sent away last time very clearly. She thought her worst nightmare was coming true all over again.

"No one's goin' to make you leave." He rubbed her back as a hitching sob broke over her. He'd known it was only a matter of time before this happened. At least they'd made it to his house before she fell apart. Pressing his back against the desk he held her as everything she had been repressing finally wormed it's way to the front.

She was shaking hard and he kissed the top of her head while he held her. "They made me leave before!" She was gasping between sobs. "Now they know what happened! It doesn't matter that I'm better! They won't listen!" He tightened his grip on her as she clutched desperately at his shirt. "I don't care if I can't go back to court but I don't want to leave you and Jeb!"

"I promise you're not goin' to go anywhere." She shook her head as she pressed closer to him as is she were afraid he was going to be ripped away from her. She probably thought he was. Working his hand into her hair he murmured into her ear. "It's ok, Sweetheart, I promise. You don't have to go see them at all if you don't want to."

Her body began to relax a bit as soon as he said that and he let himself calm down slightly. It must not have occurred to her that she didn't have to do anything they ordered her to do anymore. Realizing that line of thought had helped he pushed on with it. He had never thought his knowledge of how the court worked could ever be used to comfort someone before. He thanked his lucky star for every lesson he had ever had about them.

"Your mother banished you from court. That means you're free to do what you want. You're not bound by court protocol anymore, just like they aren't bound to provide for you."

He let her cry herself out against his shoulder as he rubbed her neck. Slowly her death grip loosened although she refused to move her face off his shoulder. He hummed softly into her ear as she lay against his chest and began to twist her hair around his fingers. "Sweet thing." He kissed her temple affectionately and she sighed into the skin of his neck. Deeg always reacted positively when he used that particular endearment and this time was no exception. "It'll all be ok. In a week or two they'll loose interest and you'll be settled. You might even like my friends."

She sniffed and kissed his neck. "I'm sure I'll like your friends. Dave was really nice."

"He's polite enough when he wants to be." Hearing the teasing tone in his voice she laughed softly and he smiled. She did bounce back awfully fast. "Do you want to see what that crazy old man left for you?"

Sitting up she wiped her face with the back of her hand and he rubbed a few of the tears she missed away. "The envelope was addressed to you not me."

"Good, that means I probably got a book on the intricacies of microcosms."

Her eyes sparked with humor. "He gave you that lecture too?"

He groaned in mock pain. "It went on for hours."

"You let him talk that long?" He grinned at her and she sat back as she straightened his shirt back out with her small hands. "You do know that's a test right?"

"What?"

She grinned fondly and he was pleased to note most of her sorrow was pushed away as she talked about the duke. "It's how he tested everyone that applied to work for him."

"I was already workin' for him."

"Let me guess, a whole ten days?" He blinked at her accuracy and her smile grew. "I've never heard of anyone that made it longer than twenty minutes but me."

"What was he looking for?" He asked curiously as he helped push her up off the ground.

"Patience, attention, memory recall, and who knows what other quirks. He was particular about his guards. Most of them only lasted a few weeks." She sat on the edge of the desk and handed him the package. "The only reason I made it as long as I did with that was because I wouldn't stop asking him questions. He finally magicked me a ball and sent me outside to play when I stumped him."

He chuckled as he began to tear the top of the envelope open. "How old were you?"

"Six."

He paused with his fingers wrapped around a thin stack of papers. "You stumped him at six?"

"Yup. He couldn't tell me where babies came from."

He nearly choked on his laughter. "What in Ozma's name does that have to do with microcosms?"

"Nothing." She was grinning nostalgically. "But he couldn't prove that without a detailed explanation. He wasn't willing to do that. I think that was the only time I ever saw him blush in my whole life."

"You're something else." He could only imagine the duke's reaction to his tiny niece as she innocently asked him how babies fit into the mix. No wonder the man was so unflappable. He had dealt with a young Deeg.

She smiled and pointed to the papers in his hands. Tossing the packaging on the desktop he read the first few lines before he blinked rapidly and re-red them. Glancing up at his girl he stared at her, dumbstruck.

"What?" He handed her the papers and she sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh." Her eyes flew to him and he saw more emotions there than he could identify. After several seconds a flash of amusement appeared and her lips quirked up at the corners. "He did like you."

"Like me?" He wasn't sure what he was feeling. "This is crazy!"

She shrugged. "Because your life is so normal."

"Darlin', he left me everything."

The old man never should have done this. His possessions belonged to his family. They belonged to her. "This isn't right."

"Yes it is." She pointed to the will. "Your name's on there and everything."

He glared at her. "You know that's not what I meant."

Taking the will she set it on the desk next to her and caught his face so they were staring at one another. "You were closer to uncle Liam than any of us. He knew Az would be queen and my parents hardly need his holdings or land."

"And what about you?"

She shrugged and he caught her wrists as she let them start to drop. "What about me? He thought I'd get an inheritance. Why are you upset? I'm glad he had someone that he cared about. He obviously thought of you like a son. I knew he liked you when he tried to introduce you to me at Finaqua. I told you he was particular. Doesn't that make you happy? That he cared?"

He was stumped by the simplicity of her questions. "Of course it does but this should be yours."

She considered what he said before she spoke. "Wyatt, I grew up with money. I was never once denied a toy or clothes or food. I could have anything I asked for and it never made me happy. Not even once. Do you know what I asked for when I turned twelve?"

He shook his head. "No."

"I asked my father to take me out horseback riding. I waited all day and he never showed up. I found out from my sister that he and my mother got pulled into a meeting with the eastern guild." He saw sadness in her eyes. "I was old enough to understand that then. What I didn't understand was why he forgot to take me out the next day when he was free." She stroked his cheek. "Money can do a lot, Wyatt. It can buy you anything you want, it can make life easier in some ways, but it can't make you happy."

"Deeg-"

She squeezed his hands. "I've seen the way you act with Jeb. The way you love him. He's happy when your together and so are you. I bet you never forgot his birthday or broke a promise you made him even if you couldn't give him every crazy thing he asked for. You didn't need this-" She tapped the will next to her. "-to make you happy. I'd just as soon work as a mechanic than be given this. I don't want it."

He didn't ask her if she was sure. He could see in her eyes that fighting her about this was pointless. "Alright. Forget about that for a minute." Pleased that he let that go she nodded. "Are you happy now?"

"Wyatt, I've been happy since the day I met you." She tilted her head up. "Ok, except when I thought you were going to die." She poked him in the chest. "_Don't_ do that again!"

His lip twitched. "I'll do my best."

"Good." He kissed her gently and she wrapped her legs around his hips urging him closer to her. "Now I believe you said something about a wall earlier?"

Smirking into the kiss he hauled her off the desk and spun her toward the closest clear wall between two of the bookcases. "I did say that." She pressed back against him as he nibbled the back of her neck and he realized he wasn't going to be able to wait long before he asked her to marry him. Then she whimpered and he decided he could wait for at least a few more hours.

Author Note: Hit that review button! You're running low on chances to review! This story has almost run its course. Bittersweet.


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: For the last time in this story I have to tell you I don't own Tin Man. Not even a little bit.

Opening the wardrobe she picked out two of her dresses she deemed worthy of packing and turned to the suitcase on the bed. Setting one of them down she began to fold the other and heard the door downstairs open. She didn't need to extend her magic to sense the Tin Man anymore. She had started to think that he was affecting her the same way Kara's gift had. He was simply a part of her. "Deeg?"

"Up here!" She placed the folded dress in the suitcase and started on the second one. Cain pushed the door open and took the scene in. She saw the look in his eyes and dropped the second dress before putting her hands on her hips. "Don't even try to start this again."

His jaw set and she huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't see why you can't wait to go back to the coast. It's been over a year. I don't think another five months is going to matter."

"I refuse to have this argument again. We've already gone through this sixteen times."

He rolled his eyes. "That's an exaggeration."

"Really?" She pointed to the bedside table. "I've been keeping a tally."

"For the love of Ozma!" He was getting angry. "You're being ridiculous!"

She snapped the suitcase closed and used her magic to shimmer it on top the dresser. "Wyatt, I'm going to the coast. You can come with me or stay here. At this point I don't care."

"You're not traveling by yourself! Especially not now! You shouldn't be traveling at all!" He moved farther into the room, his eyes flashing blue fire. "Why are you being so stubborn about this? It's not like Furball wouldn't come here if you asked!"

"Raw is hardly the only viewer in our pack!"

"Who else do you want to see?" He was beyond baffled and she felt herself getting more irritated by the moment. Apparently a flat out offensive wasn't the greatest way to deal with the Tin Man. She could have sworn she already knew that.

"The females!" He quirked an eyebrow and she turned back to the wardrobe as she began searching distractedly for her favorite blouse. "Unlike you I've never done this before! It's not like I can ask my mother anything!"

"Sweetheart." His anger vanished and he was suddenly behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "You didn't tell me you were worried about this."

She shrugged. "Because having you worried about me being worried would have made me feel so much better."

"Come here, Deeg." He backed them to the bed and sat down, placing her in his lap. "I don't want you to be nervous about anything."

She sighed and pressed her head under his chin. It was amazing that having him hold her had never gotten any less comforting, had never gotten old. "I'm just afraid something is going to happen. I've never been this happy before. I feel like it can't last." He kissed her head reassuringly. "I know it's ridiculous but I'll feel better with someone who's actually been through the whole process, at least my side of it. Not that you haven't been wonderful but I want to be near other women."

"Deeg, you're past the point where you might loose her."

She shook her head into his shoulder. "There's other stuff that might happen and I want to be near Raw and the others in case it does."

"Ok." His fingers rubbed her stomach gently.

She leaned back and eyed him skeptically. This was too far out of character for it to be real. She thought he had been protective of her before she told him she was pregnant. He had gotten downright ridiculous in the last month. Looking back she was amazed she had been worried he wouldn't be happy about it. That was one of the reasons she had waited so long to tell him. "You're not going to fight with me about this?"

He slid her to the middle of the bed and laid her out with exceptional care. "Nope." He was already on his elbows and hovering over her stomach. "If you'll feel better on the coast then we can leave in the mornin'. Best get there before you get any rounder." She rolled her eyes at him as he pushed her shirt up and ran his hand over the skin above her hips. He ignored her piqued glare and turned his attention away from her. "And how are you today?"

She laughed quietly at his crooning, forgetting he had called her round. Really she only had a bit of a bump. Ok, maybe it was more than a bit. Yup, definitely a plain old bulge now. "I don't think he can hear you."

He tickled her ribs. "Of course she can."

Running her hands through his hair she smiled down at him. "You are going to be so disappointed when Raw tells you it's a boy."

"Nonsense." He kissed her stomach while his blue eyes flicked to her face. "There is no possible way I could be disappointed." She placed a hand on his cheek as he tickled her skin with his nose. "Besides, Raw would never tell me such a thing since she's a girl." He stared straight down and grinned. "Isn't that right, Kiddo?"

"Stubborn man."

"Shhh, Deeg. You don't want her thinkin' you don't love me."

She laughed breathily at him. "I doubt he'll ever think that."

He continued to talk to her stomach. "You're goin' to be as pretty as your mama and what am I goin' to do? I'll have to shoot all the boys that come tryin' to court you."

She rolled her eyes. "That's rather extreme, Wyatt."

"I don't think so." He kissed her stomach again. "Especially with you teachin' her magic. I'll hardly be able to keep up."

She stopped running her hand through his hair as unease hit her. She really didn't want to think about this, and certainly didn't want to upset him, but it was important and they needed to before she had the baby. "Wyatt?"

He heard the change in her voice and looked up at her. "What's the matter, Sweet thing?"

She met his eyes seriously. "If anything happens to me you need to take the baby to Az so she can train him. He's going to have magic. He'll hurt himself if he doesn't know how to use it and she won't try to keep him at court when he's done learning."

Cain moved up on the bed and held her against him. "Nothin' is goin' to happen to you."

Snuggling against him she tossed her leg over his hip as she met his eyes. She didn't want to skim around this issue no matter how either of them felt about it. "Promise me?"

His eyes searched hers and he finally nodded. "I promise." She caught his face and kissed him gratefully. After a long minute he pulled back. "Now you need to promise me you won't do anything crazy so I'll have to do that."

"Geez, you drive a hard bargain." He chuckled as she teased him. "You act like I get in trouble all the time."

He shook his head and kissed her. She bit his lower lip and he growled as he tickled her ribs. She squeaked and batted at his hands. "You're a bad man! Stay back!"

He did anything but stay back as he pulled her closer against him, though he did stop tormenting her. Cradling her back against his chest he buried his face in her hair and sighed contentedly as he started stroking her abdomen. "Our baby's lucky to have such a good mother."

Smiling she held his hand in place and looked over the bulge that had started forming there. "He's lucky to have such a good father. At least he might be. Call me round again and its over for you."

He chuckled and kissed her shoulder. Twisting her head back she caught his eyes and saw contentment there. His hand drifted lower and she sucked in a sharp breath as her own tranquility was replaced with a wave of lust. In the last few months she had been a lot more prone to that than she usually was and that was saying something. For the most part she had been very lucky. She had practically no morning sickness if she avoided certain foods, something she had been grateful for, mostly because Wyatt hadn't noticed. Her mood swings hadn't been all that bad either, at least not in her opinion, but the first time she had swung wildly out of control the Tin Man stared at her as if she were insane.

It probably hadn't helped that the whole thing was over the fact that she had lost a button on one of her shirts. She had nearly torn the house apart searching for it after work and he had come home an hour later to find the study in shambles and their bedroom looking like a travel storm had torn through it. When he had asked her, with the strangest look in his eyes, why the house had been pillaged she had glanced over the bedroom and burst into tears. She was pretty sure that not having told him she was pregnant yet had exacerbated the situation.

He had panicked, thinking someone had come in and tried to hurt her. When she shook her head he had lost patience and demanded to know what had happened. She had told him through her completely irrational tears that she couldn't find a button. He stood there staring at her for a long minute. "What?"

"My button!"

"You can't be serious." Annoyance laced his tone, which only upset her more. She'd never had him annoyed with her before. "You ripped the house apart because you lost a button? Are you sick or just plain crazy?"

She went from downright distressed to righteously angry in a second. "_I am not crazy!_" She wasn't all that scary sounding when she was hiccupping between gasping breaths.

"Then what is the matter with you?" Frustration was vibrating off of him. "You've been acting strange for days!"

She had stormed out of the room in a huff and slammed the door to the bathroom shut with a resounding bang. She heard him muttering angrily in the hallway before he went into the study and began to straighten things up rather violently. Ten minutes later and she felt perfectly normal again, except for the massive amount of guilt over getting into an argument with him for no apparent reason. Cleaning her face with a cool cloth she straightened her hair and walked out of the bathroom in search of the Tin Man. When she made it to the doorway he glanced up at her as he snapped one of the drawers of the desk closed, his eyes still flashing.

She shifted nervously. She'd known for a while, nearly six weeks, and she was tired of fretting over what he was going to do. Raw may have told her the general time this was going to happen but she hadn't been prepared for what her body was going to do to her or the massive amount of anxiety she was going to experience. Blurting out the secret she had been keeping she prepared herself for all the worst scenarios she had envisioned this news would bring.

"I'm pregnant." The Tin Man froze and she began to fidget as she dropped her eyes to the carpet. "Sorry about the mess."

Then she found herself wrapped in his arms while he swung her in a circle and he let out a loud whoop. Screeching in shock she grabbed his shoulders and held on for dear life. The second he set her on the ground he was kissing her like crazy as he laughed breathlessly. "How long, Deeg?" His hands were moving to her stomach as he dropped to his knees and pulled her shirt up so he could kiss her there too.

She couldn't even describe her relief over the fact that he was happy about this. "Six weeks. Maybe seven."

His eyes flew from his inspection of her abdomen to her face. "And you didn't tell me?" He rubbed his stubbly cheek against her skin as he watched her.

"I was afraid you…" She trailed off and stared down at his ridiculously happy face. "I guess that was silly."

"Very silly." He kissed her stomach again before standing up and scooping her into his arms. "But you're pregnant. You're allowed to be as silly as you want." He had carried her back to their ransacked bedroom and promptly started talking to her tummy.

That had been a good day. And now that he'd agreed to go with her to the coast, and the way his hands were moving down her body, she thought this one was pretty good too. Flicking the button of her pants open he dipped his hand under her panties and began to rub her firmly. She cried out immediately as heat swamped her. "You're awfully responsive today, Darlin'." She whimpered and pressed into his hand harder. "Do you need to come, Sweet thing?"

"Yes!" Her hips jolted forward to add to the pressure he was creating as she began to pant. "Don't stop, Wyatt!"

He chuckled into the back of her neck. "Have I ever stopped before?" She whimpered pathetically and he dipped two of his fingers into her wet heat. A yes hissed between her teeth and he growled as she pressed her bottom back against his hips. He withdrew his hand and she cried out in frustration before she felt him grasp the top of her pants and shove them down. She kicked them off as she heard him fumbling with his zipper. Then he had pulled her leg back over his hip and slid into her from behind. A satisfied moan fell from her and he began to rock in and out of her at a steady pace as he held her hips against his.

So close that she could barely contain herself she tried to get him to topple with her. "So good, Wyatt. I always feel so full with you in me." He groaned into her ear as she tightened around him. "Come with me."

Her gasps filled the small room and he rumbled into her ear. "Next time. Let go, Deeg." He said that as if she could stop herself. Letting out a loud moan she shuddered as an orgasm rolled over her. Behind her Wyatt's hand snuck down and began to stroke her center again as he continued to move. Unable to catch her breath as she came back down she was practically right on the edge again and began to whither and whine against him.

"Wyatt!" Her hand shot down to cover his as she shoved back into him. "Tin Man, please! I can't take much more!"

With an excited growl he pinched her a little roughly and she yelled out his name as her vision went dark for a few moments. He pulsed inside her with his own groan of completion and unexpected aftershocks of stars began to dance across her vision as she continued to let out soft mewls. Hearing her over his own reaction his fingers teased her center to keep her going as he panted against her neck. After a nearly painful amount of time she went limp as her body gave out on her.

"That was sexy as hell, Darlin'." Her dark curls muffled his voice as his hand moved up to cradle her against him. Her leg went slack and fell back to the bed as she sighed, completely spent. "Never seen you break apart that fast."

All she could do was hum and twist toward him so she could rest her head under his chin. "Love you."

"Love you too." His hand rested over her bulge. "Love both my girls."

Lip twitching she murmured into his neck. "I want to name him Liam."

"That's a right funny name for a girl."

Shoving herself up on her arms so she could touch her nose to his she eyed him. "It's a boy!" It's not that she didn't want a girl. The truth was she already knew the baby was a girl. Between Kara's gift and the type of magic she could already feel coming from their baby she had known for well over a month. It was just too much fun keeping this argument going.

He was grinning up at her. She thought he had as much fun arguing about this as she did. "Alexis."

That name actually stopped her affectionate bickering. "Alexis?" She tilted her head back and forth as she let the name roll around her head. His smile grew when he saw that she more than approved of his choice.

His hand came up to tangle in her hair and he whispered in her ear. "Lexi."

"That's a really pretty name." He chuckled and kissed the spot below her ear that made her sigh. "Too bad it's a boy." Groaning he flopped back down on the bed. He had really thought he had won. He was cute.

Her fingers were running through his hair as she started thinking about the rest of the things she needed to pack when her magic tingled. She sat up abruptly as her head snapped around. "Someone's coming."

His eyes snapped open at her sharp tone. "What?" Hissing slightly as her protective instincts kicked into high gear she didn't bother to pinpoint who it was as her arms covered her baby and she started to glow defensively. "Deeg?" Straightening his clothes with amazing swiftness he was off the bed with his gun in hand in seconds. "Who is it?" His voice was hard as steel as he reacted to her anxiety.

Closing her eyes briefly she felt for the source of the magic and her light dimmed slightly. "Az is here." That was disquieting. She hadn't seen her sister in well over a year. She hadn't thought Az knew where she was.

He relaxed slightly and put his gun back down as she frowned. "Clothes, Sweet thing." He opened the wardrobe and handed her a clean blue dress that she changed into quickly. Wyatt was tying the ribbons that held it closed when there was a knock on the door. Finishing, he kissed her cheek and headed for the stairs while adjusting his holster.

She followed him more slowly, feeling skittish and abnormally paranoid. She knew it was related to both her feelings toward being contacted by anyone in her family in combination with her need to keep their baby safe. The Tin Man opened the door as she made it to the doorway on the far side of the sitting room. Seeing the advisor behind her sister's shoulder she hovered in the background, trying to keep her stomach hidden from view. Both of them were dressed very simply and she knew they were doing their best to go unnoticed on this visit. "Deeg?" The heir had spotted her past Cain and a smile lit up her pretty face.

"Hi, Az." She didn't smile and her sister frowned as Wyatt ushered them in. She was afraid this might be part of the summons she had ignored when they had first returned to Central City so many months ago. She wasn't going to go to the palace no matter what Az wanted.

Ambrose smiled sincerely at her. "We've been waiting for you to come to us but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen so we decided to come to you."

"Why?" Her voice was sharper than she meant it to be but she was starting to panic slightly. Wyatt was wound as tight as a bowstring and looked about ready to toss them both out. Similar thoughts were running through his head she was sure. They had talked about this after they had decided what to do with the inheritance he had received.

They had both agreed that they weren't going to have anything to do with the courts or her family again. She knew she would miss her sister, she had, but Az came with too many complications. Her parents scared her. They could still make her leave the Outer Zone if they managed to get a hold of her. She wasn't leaving. She wasn't going back to court. She wasn't letting the queen or consort near Wyatt, Jeb, or her baby.

Ambrose saw that they had erred by coming and shifted his gaze between her and her husband. Az, on the other hand, was focused on her. "Deeg? What's wrong?"

"What are you doing here?" Her magic began to flicker.

"I…I wanted to see you." Her sister edged toward her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too but you shouldn't have come."

She'd never seen her sister look so hurt before. "What? Why?"

"Who else knows where she is?" Wyatt walked around their unexpected guests as he made his way toward her.

Ambrose pressed his lips together as her sister wilted. "No one."

"Keep it that way." He stopped next to her and rubbed her back as he whispered in her ear. "If you want them gone just say so."

"This is hardly the reunion we had imagined." The advisor was less than pleased that her sister was being stone walled.

"What did you expect?" The Tin Man moved to partially block her. "If anyone followed you her parents could hunt her down! We've been keeping a low profile for a reason! I'm not going to let them order my wife out of the O.Z.!"

"Wife?" Az asked quietly.

"No one is going to make her leave." Ambrose cut in.

The Tin Man narrowed his eyes. "No? They know what happened. Their track record speaks for itself."

"I'm not going back to the palace." She was starting to feel slightly sick and pressed against Wyatt.

He turned back to look at her and concern flashed over his face. "You should leave. You're upsetting her."

"Doll, honestly, no one is going to make you leave the O.Z. Your parents want to talk to you. Ahamo especially. We've been worried about you."

"I'm sorry I worried you Az but I'm not going to talk to them. I'm not going back to the palace, and if you bring them here, or tell them where I am I swear I'll use my magic to make them leave." She flashed erratically as her voice hardened.

Wyatt put his hand on her as he tried to sooth her. "Deeg, you need to calm down." Turning his back to the other two he rubbed a slow circle over her stomach. "This is bad for Lexi." She heard Ambrose and Az shifting in confusion even as she nodded. Cain ignored this as he continued to touch her. "Deep breaths." He kissed her forehead as she complied and her magic faded away. "Good girl." Turning his head over his shoulder he glared at the advisor. "You upset her again and no amount of magic or fighting skills are goin' to keep you safe."

"We didn't mean to upset anyone." Her sister sounded depressed. "Deeg, I swear I just wanted to visit. If you don't want to see our parents then I promise I won't tell them anything. I've been worried. You vanished and Glitch said you were hurt and he thought the Tin Man might be dead. Then you never answered my letter even though uncle Liam's holdings shifted. I didn't know what happened."

She looked at her sister seriously. "Do you promise? I have a new life, Az. I'm happy here."

"I promise, little sister." Beside her the advisor nodded in agreement.

"Ok." She sent her sister a small smile and the tension drain out of Wyatt. "How are you? What happened after we left?"

Ambrose shrugged as the Tin Man waved at the couch. Glitch followed as Az sat down gracefully. "Nothing that should surprise you. We imprisoned the men that lived and came back. We had the funeral and when we got the duke's will I thought the police station would be the best place to send it seeing as we didn't know where you lived or if you would be back." Wyatt put his hand on the small of her back and guided her around the chair she had been standing behind. "Your parents got into a fight about what happened but they settled it after…"

The advisor trailed off and Az blinked as her whole body came into view. Even with the loose dress she was wearing it was clear that she was now sharing her body with someone else. Wyatt made sure she was comfortable in the cushioned chair before kissing her temple and asking her a question. "Do you need anything?" She could see in his eyes that he was still worked up over how stressed she had gotten and smiled up at him.

"No thank you." With a nod he dragged the old rocking chair next to her and sat down.

"Oh, Deeg." Her sister had gotten up and was crouched down next to her in the blink of an eye. Her hand came up and hovered over her stomach before the heir flashed her an uncertain look and began to pull it away. Catching her sister's slim fingers she dragged them back and placed them over the bump. A soft, joyful smile appeared on Az's lips as they stayed like that. Her sister's hand pressed between hers and her belly. "When are you due?" A much smaller hand than she was used to rubbed her stomach and she found a different kind of warmth filling her.

"The first month of spring." Az's smile was radiant and she saw her fiancé approaching them slowly. Wyatt was simply sitting still as he watched them and she wondered if the men were afraid to break the moment between them.

"Can I come and see the baby?"

"If you promise not to let anyone follow you."

Az nodded vigorously. "I promise, Deeg." She rolled her eyes as the advisor edged closer, curiosity evident, and reached out quickly to grab his hand too. He laughed softly as she put it on her stomach and gave her his inventor's grin. After that an easy camaraderie settled over the room and they caught up for a few hours before the advisor was forced to point out that they would be missed if they stayed away any longer. Apparently their presence was needed when there was only a week left before their wedding. After telling them goodbye and all of them silently acknowledge that they would be gone for the ceremony she and Wyatt were left alone again.

His arms wrapped around her as they stood in the middle of the room. "I'm glad we're leaving tomorrow. If they let anything slip we'll be gone."

"I don't think Az or Ambrose will do that." She kissed his jaw before grabbing his hand and dragging him back upstairs. "She wants to see Liam when he gets here."

"Lexi." She heard the smile in his voice as she headed back to her suitcase. "Do you need help packin'?"

"Nope." She smiled rather giddily at him as she tossed her socks in the bag. "Do you think Raw will be happy to see us?"

Chuckling at her he began to rummage around as he pulled out his own things. "He'll sure be happy to see you."

Sneaking up behind him she caught him around the waist and kissed his back. She hadn't seen Raw since the wedding and she was really excited. He rumbled out a quiet laugh and squeezed her arms. "You are all belly, Darlin'."

"Hey!" She jumped back and poked him. "This is not-" She felt a strange fluttering sensation and dropped her head away from his amused expression. It continued and she sucked in a soft breath before catching his hand and putting it on the side of her bulge. The baby had never moved before.

Wyatt must have felt it too because he stepped closer and flattened his hand over the spot as she stared down disbelievingly at her body. "She's excited about something." His voice had dropped tenderly as he rubbed her neck with his other hand. A soft laugh bubbled up and she pressed her forehead against his chest as the fluttering died down and the baby went still again.

"She must want to see her uncle Raw too."

The Tin Man chuckled for a second before catching her chin and tilting her happy face up. "She?" She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing and he narrowed his eyes and accused her of treachery. "You already know it's a girl!"

"Maybe." He let out an indignant exclamation and caught her up in his arms before plopping her gently back on the bed. His hands were tickling her like crazy and she thrashed as she laughed.

When he finally stopped she simply grinned up to find him beaming at her. "You are so mean to not tell me." There was only pleased amusement in his tone.

"I figured you wanted to be surprised. I didn't mean to let it slip."

Catching her lips he kissed her slowly and she sighed into his mouth. When he pulled back so he could see her eyes his voice dropped and he pushed her hair back as he cupped her face. "Do you really like Alexis?" She could tell he did but wasn't going to push the issue any farther if she didn't. The thing was she really did.

"I do." Leaning forward she kissed him again. "And if she's even half as pretty as the name her daddy picked out you really are going to have to shoot all the boys that come after her."

His lip twitched like crazy as he knelt between her legs and wrapped his arms around her hips. "Consider it done, Sweet thing. Jeb'll help me."

"That's because you raised him right." Pride sparked in his eyes and she leaned forward so their foreheads were pressed together. "I'm really glad you found me in that garage."

His thumb brushed her cheek. "I would have found you one way or another."

"But then things would have been different."

His lips brushed hers. "The end would have been the same."

She considered that as she stared into his blue eyes. "I think you're right." He smiled softly at her as she took the hand that had been on her cheek kissed his palm softly. "Now, do you want to take the truck or should I call a travel storm?"

"The truck!" He rolled his eyes. "The last thing you need to do is get spun around like one of your yo-yo's. Come on, Deeg, let's finish packin' so you can see Furball." Glowing with delight she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him enthusiastically. Setting her on her feet he grinned and directed her toward the dresser. "None of that. We won't ever leave the bedroom."

Winking at him she started pulling out her clothes and briefly wondered what would have thrown them together if it hadn't been for that mage. It probably would have been something a lot less exciting. Catching sight of him moving confidently around their room she smiled with contentment. Things would have been different. She brushed her stomach briefly. But he was right. In the end it would have been exactly the same.

Author Note: The End! You know that may be my favorite story. Thanks for going on the ride with me! As promised I will start back up on Emerald Shield as soon as I can. Hopefully a chapter will be up next week. Let's have one last round of reviews!


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